Motivations and Challenges Towards Research Activities Among Undergraduate Dental Hygiene Students

Purpose: Research is integral to dental hygiene practice, graduate education, and the advancement of the dental hygiene profession. The purpose of this study was to identify the motivations and challenges toward participation in research activities as perceived by undergraduate dental hygiene students.Methods: A nonprobability sample of undergraduate dental hygiene students from across the United States was used for this cross-sectional, electronic survey. Inclusion criteria were students entering their final year of their dental hygiene education program. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.Results: A total of 333 respondents met the inclusion criteria (n=313). The most frequently cited motivations for participation in research were a good method to contribute to patient care, to improve understanding of medical/academic terms, an interest in developing transferable skills, and a necessary competency a future clinical career. The most frequently cited barriers were lack of time, lack of funds to conduct research projects, lack of formal research courses in curriculum and a lack of interest in research. Significant relationships were found between participation in research activities and education in research (p<.001) and the type of dental hygiene degree program and participation in research activities (p<.01). Students with previous research experience were significantly more likely to be encouraged by previous participation in research experiences than students without previous research experience (p<.01).Conclusion: Understanding the perceived motivations and challenges for research among undergraduate dental hygiene students, can help direct efforts to foster interest and overcome barriers to pursuing future research activities.