A SURVEY STUDY ON AEROPHOBIA AMONG DENTAL STUDENTS - A CROSS-SECTIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

Abstract

Background: Aerophobia (fear of flying) is a specific phobia. A specific phobia is a phobia in which the individual experiences an unreasonable amount of anxiety regarding a particular object or situation. It is not an ordinary fear. The aim of this study is to evaluate aerophobia among dental students.

Materials And Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a private dental institute in Chennai. A survey questionnaire of 15 questions was prepared on google forms and was asked to be filled by dental students. 100 responses were received. Questions related to fear of flying, anxiety and physical symptoms related to fear of flying were prepared. Statistical analysis was done using the software spss version 23 and chi-square test.

Results: In this study, it was seen that (70%) are not afraid of flying by plane, whereas the other (30%) are afraid of flying by plane. More people in the age group 18-20 are not afraid of flying by plane compared to the ones who are afraid of flying by plane. The number of females who are afraid of flying by plane are more than the number of males who are afraid of flying by plane.

Conclusion: The present study concludes that the majority of the students are not afraid of flying by plane. More people in the age group 18-20 are not afraid of flying by plane compared to the other age groups like 20-24 and 24-28 and 28 and above. The number of females who are afraid of flying by plane are more than the number of males who are afraid of flying by plane.