# Empathy study Cologne: A cross-sectional analysis exploring empathy in German dental students

## TL;DR

German dental students show high empathy levels, with significant gender differences and a decline in empathy among male students in later study years.

## Contribution

This study identifies gender-specific empathy trends and a decline in empathy among male dental students during advanced study years in Germany.

## Key findings

- Female dental students scored significantly higher on empathy than male students (p<0.0001).
- Male students showed a notable decrease in empathy in the final two years of study (p=0.005 and p=0.004).
- Empathy levels were not significantly correlated with age or career interests.

## Abstract

Empathy is the basis for patient-centered dentistry, but there are gaps in understanding empathy development within dental education. This study aimed to assess empathy levels among German dental students, including influencing factors such as gender, study year, age, and career interests.

This cross-sectional study was conducted during the summer term in 2023, involving 155 dental students from the University of Cologne, Germany. Empathy levels were measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Students (JSE-HPS) version (twenty items, 7-point-Likert scale, range 20-140 points). Sociodemographic data, including age, gender, study year, and career aspirations, were collected for each student and analyzed.

On average German dental students exhibited high empathy scores: 110.20±11.81 (standard deviation) (min 68.00, max 136.00). Significant differences were observed based on gender, with female students scoring higher on the JSE-HPS than their male counterparts (p<0.0001, Cohen’s d=0.92). A notable decrease in empathy was found among male students in the final two years of study (years three to four, p=0.005; years three to five, p=0.004). No significant correlations were observed between empathy levels and student age (p=0.074) or career interests (p=0.593).

High levels of empathy among German dental students were observed, associated with gender specific differences and a significant decrease in empathy in males over the last two years of study. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions, especially in the later years of study, to maintain and promote empathy throughout dental education.