Diabetes screening practices of japanese dental hygienists: The role of attitudes and training

Despite the bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease, dental hygienists' (DHs') engagement in diabetes screening remains underexplored in Japan. This study examined associations between attitudes and diabetes screening practices among Japanese DHs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 234 DHs in the Kanto region between December 2023 and February 2024. After excluding invalid responses, 75 (response rate: 32.1 %) were analyzed. Attitudes and practices were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis identified underlying constructs, and multiple regression analyses examined associations between attitudes and screening practices. Only 36 % had received diabetes management training. Factor analysis identified two attitude factors—willingness to manage diabetes and lack of knowledge and confidence—and two practice factors—checking diabetes management status and checking diabetes therapeutic management status. Willingness to manage diabetes was positively associated with all screening practices: checking diabetes management status (β = 0.34, 95 % CI 0.28–1.41), checking diabetes therapeutic management status (β = 0.39, 95 % CI 0.22–0.84), and symptom checking (β = 0.30, 95 % CI 0.12–0.72), indicating substantial effects. Lack of knowledge and confidence was negatively associated with checking diabetes management status (β = -0.33, 95 % CI -0.94 to -0.17), reflecting a moderate effect. Clinical experience and diabetes education experience also predicted symptom checking, highlighting the importance of structured training. Educational interventions targeting knowledge, confidence, and willingness are essential to promote diabetes screening practices among DHs. These findings provide evidence for developing targeted training programs to enhance medical-dental collaboration in diabetes care.