Reconsidering the ‘Decline’ of Dental Student Empathy within the Course in Latin America

Authors

  • Víctor Patricio Díaz-Narváez Department of Biological Sciences. Facultad de Odontología. Universidad San Sebastián. Santiago. Chile Department of Health Sciences. Faculty of Kinesiology. Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins. Santiago. Chile.
  • Ana María Erazo Coronado Department of Endodontist. Universidad Metropolitana. Barranquilla. Colombia.
  • Jorge Luis Bilbao Department of Educational Science. Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla y Fundación Universitaria San Martín. Barranquilla. Colombia.
  • Farith González Department of Investigación: Facultad de Odontología. Universidad de Cartagena. Cartagena. Colombia.
  • Mariela Padilla Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. University of Southern California. Los Angeles. United States of America.
  • Aracelis Calzadilla-Nuñez Department of Psychiatry. Felix Bulnes Hospital. Santiago. Chile.
  • Maria Guadalupe Silva-Vetri Faculty of Dentistry. Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña. Santo Domingo. República Dominicana.
  • Joel Arboleda Department of Sociology. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas. Universidad Central del Este. San Pedro de Macorís. República Dominicana.
  • Mirian Bullen Department of Dental Surgery. Facultad de Odontología. Universidad de Panamá. Panamá. Panamá.
  • Robert Utsman Department of Health Sciences, Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología. San José. Costa Rica.
  • Elizabeth Fajardo Department Nursing. Faculty of Health Sciences. Universidad del Tolima. Ibagué. Tolima. Colombia.
  • Luz Marina Alonso Department of Health Communication. Universidad del Tolima. Ibagué. Tolima. Colombia.
  • Marcos Cervantes Department of Psychology. Faculty of Social Sciences. Universidad del Norte. Barranquilla. Colombia.
  • Teresa Varela School of Medicine. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Córdoba. Argentina.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20344/amp.8681

Keywords:

Empathy, Latin America, Students, Dental/psychology

Abstract

Introduction: The controversy over the presence of empathic decline within the course in students of medicine, dentistry and health sciences in general, has not fully been studied. This controversy could be partially solved if massive studies of empathy levels are made in similar cultural, social and economic contexts.
Material and Methods: Empathy levels within the course were studied in eighteen dental schools from six countries in Latin America (2013). The mean of the empathy levels were used to study the behavior between first and fifth academic years. The values of empathy levels within the course were observed by applying the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, the Spanish version. All these studies were cross-sectional. The value of means observed, were subjected to regression studies and further adjustment curves were obtained and the coefficient of determination were calculated.
Results: Six different models of behavior were observed, which found that five of them suffer empathic decline within the course, but with different final results: in some the decline persists until the fifth academic year and in others, this decline ‘recovers’ persistently until the fifth academic year. The sixth model is characterized by a constant and persistent increase of levels of empathy within the course until the last academic year.
Discussion: There are six different models for the behavior of means of levels of empathy within the course evaluated by a common methodology in eighteen dental schools from six countries of Latin America. These findings support the existence of variability of empathic response and a comprehensive approach is needed to find the causes that give rise to this variability.
Conclusion: In dental students of Latin America, there is variability in the behavior of the distribution in means between the academic years of the dentistry schools examined in this study.

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Author Biographies

Víctor Patricio Díaz-Narváez, Department of Biological Sciences. Facultad de Odontología. Universidad San Sebastián. Santiago. Chile Department of Health Sciences. Faculty of Kinesiology. Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins. Santiago. Chile.

Research Professor. Doctor in Biological Sciences (Ph.D). Facultad de Odontología. Universidad San Sebastián.  Av. Cumming # 40.  Santiago Centro. Chile. Santiago. Chile.

Ana María Erazo Coronado, Department of Endodontist. Universidad Metropolitana. Barranquilla. Colombia.

Dentist. Endodontist Specialist. Specialist in University Teaching. Doctor in Comunication.  Coordinadora de Autoevaluación y Docente Programa de Odontología, Universidad Metropolitana. Calle 76 N. 42 – 78. Barranquilla, Colombia.

Jorge Luis Bilbao, Department of Educational Science. Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla y Fundación Universitaria San Martín. Barranquilla. Colombia.

MA in Sociology.  Master of Public Health.  Master of Education.  Candidate for Doctor in Educational Science.  Coordinador del Área de Formación Investigativa.  Facultad de Medicina.  Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla y Fundación Universitaria San Martín Sede Puerto Colombia. Barranquilla. Colombia.

Farith González, Department of Investigación: Facultad de Odontología. Universidad de Cartagena. Cartagena. Colombia.

Dentist.  Specialist in Social Research and Master of Public Health, Jefe del Departamento de Investigación, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Cartagena. Colombia. Campus de la Salud Barrio Zaragocilla. Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena. Colombia.

Mariela Padilla, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. University of Southern California. Los Angeles. United States of America.

Professor of the School of Health Sciences, Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología, San José, Costa Rica; Specialist in Orofacial Pain and Master in Education.

Aracelis Calzadilla-Nuñez, Department of Psychiatry. Felix Bulnes Hospital. Santiago. Chile.

Medical Doctor (MD).  Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Department of Psychiatry. Felix Bulnes Hospital. Santiago. Chile.

Maria Guadalupe Silva-Vetri, Faculty of Dentistry. Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña. Santo Domingo. República Dominicana.

Medical Doctor (MD).  Master of Public Health, emphasis in Epidemiology.  Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas. Universidad Central del Este. República Dominicana.

Joel Arboleda, Department of Sociology. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas. Universidad Central del Este. San Pedro de Macorís. República Dominicana.

Sociologist, Specialist in Applied Statistics. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas. Universidad Central del Este. República Dominicana.

Mirian Bullen, Department of Dental Surgery. Facultad de Odontología. Universidad de Panamá. Panamá. Panamá.

Doctor of Restorative Dentistry (Ph.D). Doctor of Dental Surgery. Profesora Titular Operatoria Dental.  Facultad de Odontología. Universidad de Panamá. Directora de Investigación y Postgrado.

Robert Utsman, Department of Health Sciences, Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología. San José. Costa Rica.

Director of Research of the School of Health Sciences, Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología, San José, Costa Rica

Elizabeth Fajardo, Department Nursing. Faculty of Health Sciences. Universidad del Tolima. Ibagué. Tolima. Colombia.

Master of Nursing. Research Professor. Faculty of Health Sciences. Universidad del Tolima. Ibagué. Tolima. Colombia.

Luz Marina Alonso, Department of Health Communication. Universidad del Tolima. Ibagué. Tolima. Colombia.

Dr. of Health Communication, Master in Public Health.  

Marcos Cervantes, Department of Psychology. Faculty of Social Sciences. Universidad del Norte. Barranquilla. Colombia.

Professor of Psychology (Ph.D). Faculty of Social Sciences. Universidad del Norte. Barranquilla. Colombia.

Teresa Varela, School of Medicine. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Córdoba. Argentina.

School of Medicine. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Córdoba. Argentina

 

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Published

2017-11-29

How to Cite

1.
Díaz-Narváez VP, Coronado AME, Bilbao JL, González F, Padilla M, Calzadilla-Nuñez A, Silva-Vetri MG, Arboleda J, Bullen M, Utsman R, Fajardo E, Alonso LM, Cervantes M, Varela T. Reconsidering the ‘Decline’ of Dental Student Empathy within the Course in Latin America. Acta Med Port [Internet]. 2017 Nov. 29 [cited 2024 Nov. 22];30(11):775-82. Available from: https://actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/8681

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