Evaluation of Transmissible Diseases and Preventive Measures Awareness Level among Dental Auxiliaries in Dental Schools of Kerala: A Cross-sectional Study

AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of awareness of transmissible diseases and preventive measures among dental auxiliaries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current cross-sectional study comprised 290 dental auxiliaries across dental schools of Kerala. Each dental college received a self-administered questionnaire for each member of the auxiliary staff that included personal information such as age, sex, and confirmation of a particular employment within the practice. The questionnaire mainly included an awareness regarding transmissible diseases and previous infection/immunization status for hepatitis B (HBV), varicella and herpes zoster, tuberculosis (TB), rubella, and COVID. Both percentage and frequency were used to describe the qualitative characteristics. To find associations between variables, the Chi-square test was employed. If the probability value was