Predictors of Empathy Among Dental Hygiene Undergraduate Students.

<b>Purpose</b> Empathetic engagement is considered a vital component in forming respect-based relationships between patients and clinicians, leading to more optimal patient care. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there was a relationship between dental hygiene students' levels of empathy and student demographics including age, gender, year in school, and the degree type of dental hygiene program attending.<b>Methods</b> This was a cross-sectional observation study conducted among dental hygiene undergraduate students attending three dental hygiene programs in the Midwestern United States. Two programs offered associate degrees and one offered a baccalaureate degree. Participants completed the 20-item Jefferson Scale of Empathy^©, student edition (JSE-S) along with demographic questions including age, gender, year in dental hygiene program, and degree type of dental hygiene program. Descriptive statistics and comparisons of the empathy scores were conducted using t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Regressions were conducted to determine whether the students' year in dental hygiene program and the type of degree program were predictors of empathy.<b>Results</b> Forty-one participants completed the questionnaire for a 65% response rate. The mean empathy score was 83.05 ± 10.04 among the participants. There were no statistically significant differences between levels of empathy of first- and second-year students or those attending a two-year institution versus a four-year university. Age, year in program, and type of degree were not shown to be predictors of empathy.<b>Conclusion</b> Results from this study did not show relationships or predictors of empathy with dental hygiene students' demographics or type of degree program. Future research should expand beyond a small homogenous convenience sample and include a longitudinal gauge to assess potential fluctuations in empathy as students progress throughout the curriculum and as practicing clinicians.