MRSA-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among clinical dental students: a cross-sectional study with implications for infection prevention and control education and training

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Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important public health concern because of its role in healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, and potential transmission in clinical environments. Dental students may be exposed to MRSA through patient contact, aerosols, contaminated surfaces, and routine clinical procedures. This study assessed MRSA-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among clinical dental students and identified predictors of infection-control practice. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry, An-Najah National University. A structured questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographic and academic characteristics, previous MRSA-related exposure, infection prevention and control (IPC) training, and KAP domains. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were calculated and classified into levels. Non-parametric tests were used to assess group differences, Spearman's correlation was used to examine relationships between KAP scores, and multiple linear regression was performed to identify predictors of infection-control practice score. Results A total of 166 valid responses were analyzed. The mean knowledge score was 8.38 ± 3.96 out of 14, while attitude and practice scores were 43.02 ± 7.40 out of 60 and 48.14 ± 7.27 out of 55, respectively. Poor knowledge was observed in 47.6% of students, whereas 80.7% reported good practice. Knowledge was positively correlated with attitude and practice ( p < 0.001 for both). In adjusted linear regression, higher knowledge score ( p = 0.003), more frequent IPC training ( p < 0.001), female gender( p = 0.031), third- and fourth-year study level ( p = 0.017 for both), and GPA 3.0-3.49 ( p = 0.024) were significantly associated with higher practice scores. The model explained 39.5% of the variance in practice. Conclusion Clinical dental students reported good infection-control practices despite gaps in MRSA-specific knowledge. Strengthening MRSA-related education and repeated IPC training may improve students' preparedness for safe clinical practice.