Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to identify the relationship between fear of contracting COVID-19, clinical practice stress, and professional identity of dental hygiene students. Methods: A survey was conducted among 160 dental hygiene students. The survey items included questions on the general characteristics of the participants, fear and anxiety related to COVID-19, clinical practice stress, and professional identity. For data analysis, stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to check the effect of COVID-19 fear and clinical practice stress on professional identity. Results: The survey found that COVID-19 fear was 2.26, clinical practice stress was 1.80, and professional identity was 3.12. Professional identity was affected by clinical practice stress(β=-0.337,
