Mobile Technology Patterns in Dentistry Students. A Clinical Survey

Abstract

(1) Introduction: Information technology is seen as instrumental in shifting the paradigm of teaching and learning towards active learning. Students and young professionals have been suggested as being more prone to mobile technology addiction compared to the general population, with profession-characteristic patterns and possible consequences for long-term professional development. (2) Materials and methods: An original questionnaire was developed to assess the attitude towards mobile technology in active learning in a dental school in Romania. The study was conducted among 214 students in dentistry to identify any possible patterns of using mobile devices. Consistency analysis was conducted on the closed-ended questions by employing the reliability Cronbach’s alpha. Furthermore, inter-item correlation and principal components analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was conducted to investigate the underlying motivational framework in the use of the internet. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were applied to verify the data suitability for factor analysis. (3) Results: Principal component analysis and subsequent K-means clustering were applied on the data, leading to the conclusion that the underlying motivation of frequent use within these youngsters is mostly rooted in their professional interests, rather than compulsive or social pressure. For the two resulting clusters, the R-scores proved to be significantly different, with a median (IQR) of 43 (41–47) and 48 (44–54) for the first and the second cluster, respectively (Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.001). Statistical analysis was conducted on de-identified data using SPSS v.20 and the R v.3.4 software packages, with a 0.05 level of significance. (4) Conclusion: The increasing need of constant network connection comes from the high pressure of the professional environment. This study results provide data grounds for diagnosing a possible behavioral addiction syndrome, which certainly is an intrinsic part of our ordinary life, both in professional and leisure activities.