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Minda GH, Tola HH, Amhare AF, Kebie A, Endale T. Personal hygiene practice and associated factors among elementary school students in Fiche Town, Oromia, Ethiopia. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:781. [PMID: 39103754 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09665-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Students in school are more likely to be sick from communicable diseases like diarrheal illnesses, acute respiratory infections, and other illnesses linked to poor personal hygiene. Poor hygiene practices are common among school children and put their health at risk, which in turn has several consequences. These include significant school absences, transmission of infectious diseases to other students, and missed workdays for parents and guardians. However, there is limited evidence on the level of personal hygiene practice and its associated factors among school students. Thus, this study was aimed at determining personal hygiene practice level and its associated factors among elementary school grade (5-8) students in Fiche town, Oromia, Ethiopia, in 2022. METHODS A cross-sectional study design was conducted from April 29 to May 29, 2022, in Fiche town, Oromia regional state, among 534 elementary school students. A multi-stage probability sampling technique was used to select the individual students. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data was entered into epi-data version 4.6 and analyzed by SPSS version 26.0. Variables that scored a p-value less than 0.2 during bivariate analysis were included in multilevel logistic regression models to determine factors associated with personal hygiene practice. The odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was estimated, and the level of significance was set at [Formula: see text] 0.05. RESULTS The magnitude of good personal hygiene (scored above the mean) was 59.2% (95% confidence interval (CI)) (55.1-63.0). A considerable proportion of students scored more than 50% in latrine use (62.5%), regular hand-washing (55.4%), and oral hygiene (55.20%) practices. Being female, having good personal hygiene knowledge, doing hygiene inspections at school, and having latrine accessibility was significantly associated with good personal hygiene among elementary school students. CONCLUSION Considerable proportion of elementary school students in Fiche town have score poor personal hygiene practice. Interventions aimed that target improving knowledge of personal hygiene and hygiene inspection at school are crucial to enhance the personal hygiene among elementary school students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Getaneh Haile Minda
- Department of Public health, College of Health Science, Salale University, Fiche, Ethiopia.
| | - Habiteyes Hailu Tola
- Department of Public health, College of Health Science, Salale University, Fiche, Ethiopia
| | | | - Asefa Kebie
- Department of Public health, College of Health Science, Salale University, Fiche, Ethiopia
| | - Tewodros Endale
- Department of Public health, College of Health Science, Salale University, Fiche, Ethiopia
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Hashemipour MA, Zeyghami Z, Rajaee H. Knowledge and practices of Iranian students (13-16 age) regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste. BMC Oral Health 2024; 24:747. [PMID: 38943104 PMCID: PMC11212193 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04513-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fluoride is the main factor in reducing the prevalence of caries worldwide. However, there is insufficient knowledge about whether people in different age groups are aware of the benefits of fluoride toothpaste, as well as about people's daily oral care habits and whether they use fluoride. The purpose of this research is to investigate the knowledge and performance of Iranian students regarding the use of toothpaste containing fluoride. METHOD This study was conducted on the first- and second-year high school students of Kerman city. Questionnaires containing personal questions, general questions, and questions related to students' knowledge and performance regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste were provided to them and then they were asked to complete and submit it. The results obtained from the survey were analyzed by T-test, Mann-Whitney test, and Chi-Square test in SPSS Version 24. The significance level in data analysis was P < 0.05. RESULTS In this research, 681 forms including 252 boys and 429 girls were examined. The average age of the participants was 14.1 ± 0.4. 91.2% declared that they use toothpaste and 77.8% of them used toothpaste containing fluoride. 521 people stated that the price of toothpaste is important in using the type of toothpaste. 621 people used regular toothbrush and 609 people evaluated their oral health as good. 621 of the participants stated that toothpaste makes the mouth healthy. The average knowledge score was 16.7 ± 2.1 out of 24, which indicates the average knowledge of students in this field. CONCLUSION This study showed that students' knowledge and performance about using fluoride-containing toothpaste is average. There was no significant relationship between performance and knowledge with age and gender. There was also a positive correlation between knowledge and performance indicating that increasing knowledge leads to an increase in behavioral changes. Also, there was a positive correlation between knowledge and performance, and a correlation coefficient of 0.731 was obtained between knowledge and performance. It shows that increasing knowledge leads to increasing behavioral changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Alsadat Hashemipour
- Social Determinants on Oral Health Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Zahra Zeyghami
- Social Determinants on Oral Health Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Halle Rajaee
- Social Determinants on Oral Health Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Bayingana JM, Shyaka G, Ogendi J. Knowledge, attitude and practices towards oral health among secondary school students in Huye district, Rwanda. Afr Health Sci 2024; 24:250-261. [PMID: 38962326 PMCID: PMC11217848 DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v24i1.30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Good oral health knowledge is considered to be crucial for health-related practices and better oral hygiene. Objective This study was aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices towards oral health among secondary student in Huye district. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 386 students from public secondary schools with advanced level. Boarding secondary schools were excluded. Stratified Clustering sampling technique was used for selecting study participants. A closed ended questionnaire was used for collecting data. Results were found on the basis of percentage and frequency using SPSS 21.0 version. Results The majority of participants, 222 (57.5%) were female and 164 (42.5%) were male. The majority of the participants, 168 (43.5%) were between 15-17 years old. Out of the total population of students 1.8% had good knowledge, 56.2% had average knowledge and 42% had poor knowledge about oral health. Moreover, 56.2% had negative and 43.8% had positive oral health attitudes and overall practice towards oral hygiene of students showed that 74.6 % had poor practice and 24.4% had good practices. Conclusion Oral hygiene has to be long life practice and oral health education have to be included as part of the school environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Japheths Ogendi
- Public Health, Mount Kenya University, Kigali-Kicukiro-Rwanda, Thika, Central Kenya
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Selvaraj S, Naing NN, Wan-Arfah N, Djearamane S, Wong LS, Subramaniyan V, Fuloria NK, Sekar M, Fuloria S, de Abreu MHNG. Epidemiological Factors of Periodontal Disease Among South Indian Adults. J Multidiscip Healthc 2022; 15:1547-1557. [PMID: 35898950 PMCID: PMC9309273 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s374480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Oral conditions exist worldwide, and are related with astounding morbidity. Indian adults’ incidence of mild and moderate periodontal conditions was nearly 25%, while about 19% of adults experience severe periodontitis. Objective The aim of this study was to analyse epidemiological factors of periodontal disease among a south Indian population based on the role of sociodemographic factors, habitual factors and set of oral health knowledge, attitude, and behaviour measures. Methods A sample of 288 participants above 18 years of age residing in Tamil Nadu, India took part in this cross-sectional study. Based on WHO criteria, periodontal disease was measured in our study. Age, ethnicity, smoking, education, and oral health behavior were found to be the covariates. Ordinal logistic regression analysis using R version 3.6.1 was utilized to study the various factors that influence periodontal disease among south Indian adults. Results Various demographic factors such as age between 25 and 34 years (AOR = 2.25; 95% CI 1.14–4.55), 35–44 years (AOR = 1.80; 95% CI 0.89–3.64), ≥ 45 years old (AOR = 2.89; 95% CI 1.41–6.01), ethnicity (AOR = 2.71; 95% CI 1.25–5.81), smoking (AOR = 0.38; 95% CI 0.16–0.65), primary level education (AOR = 0.07; 95% CI 0.01–0.50) high school level education (AOR = 0.06; 95% CI 0.01–0.27), university level education (AOR = 0.08; 95% CI 0.01–0.36) and an individual’s oral health behavior (AOR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.32–1.08) were found to be related with periodontal disease among the south Indian population. The maximum log likelihood residual deviance value was 645.94 in the final model. Conclusion Based on our epidemiological findings, sociodemographic, habitual factors and oral health behavior play a vital role in an individual’s periodontal status among south Indian adults. An epidemiological model derived from the factors from our study will help to bring better understanding of the disease and to implement various preventive strategies to eliminate the causative factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharthan Selvaraj
- Faculty of Medicine, Medical Campus, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, 20400, Malaysia.,Faculty of Dentistry, AIMST University, Bedong, Kedah, 08100, Malaysia
| | - Nyi Nyi Naing
- Faculty of Medicine, Medical Campus, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, 20400, Malaysia
| | - Nadiah Wan-Arfah
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, 20400, Malaysia
| | - Sinouvassane Djearamane
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar, Perak, 31900, Malaysia
| | - Ling Shing Wong
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai, 71800, Malaysia
| | - Vetriselvan Subramaniyan
- Faculty of Medicine, Bioscience and Nursing, MAHSA University, Jen jarom, Selangor, 42610, Malaysia
| | | | - Mahendran Sekar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Royal College of Medicine Perak, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Perak, 30450, Malaysia
| | - Shivkanya Fuloria
- Faculty of Pharmacy, AIMST University, Bedong, Kedah, 08100, Malaysia
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Saveanu CI, Cretu CC, Bamboi I, Săveanu AE, Anistoroaei D. Title Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate Knowledge and Attitudes on Oral Hygiene of Romanian Students. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58030406. [PMID: 35334581 PMCID: PMC8950784 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58030406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: the purpose of this study was to evaluate students’ level of knowledge and attitude towards oral hygiene. Materials and Methods: the evaluation was carried out by a questionnaire, with 30 Q (questions) as follows: demographic data (Q1–Q5), oral hygiene knowledge data (Q6–Q23) and oral hygiene attitude data (Q24–Q30). The study included students from Romanian schools and the selection of the study group was made following selection criteria in accordance with ethical issues. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed and a value of p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: the study included a number of 718 subjects with a mean age of 14.54 (±2.22), male 250 (34.8%) and female 468 (65.2%), MS (middle school students) 354 (49.4%) and HH (high school students) 364 (50.6%). Most of the subjects 292 (MS = 160; HS = 132) know a toothbrushing technique, p = 0.009, r = 0.091 and 587 (MS = 278; HS = 309) know that brushing removes the bacterial plaque p = 0.027, r = −0.082 but only 147 (MS = 71; HS = 76) know that (by) brushing can re-mineralize hard dental structures. The duration of the toothbrushing is variable, for 2- or 3-min p = 0.058, r = 0.043. Criteria for choosing the toothbrush were based mainly on the indications of the dentist, respectively, for toothpaste on its properties. The frequency of toothbrushing is mainly twice a day 428 (MS = 234; HS = 248), p = 0.079, r = 0.037, 73 (MS = 33; HS = 40) after every meal. p = 0.099, r = 0.095. Mouthwash is used by 421 (MS = 199; HS = 222) p = 0.111, r = −0.048, and 228 (MS = 199; HS = 222) after each brushing. Dental floss is used by 240 (MS = 106; HS = 134), p = 0.031, r = −0.073 and only 74 (MS = 41; HS = 33) after each brushing. Conclusions: there are differences in the level of knowledge and attitudes regarding the determinants of oral hygiene depending on the level of education.
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Inquimbert C, Clement C, Couatarmanach A, Tramini P, Bourgeois D, Carrouel F. Oral Hygiene Practices and Knowledge among Adolescents Aged between 15 and 17 Years Old during Fixed Orthodontic Treatment: Multicentre Study Conducted in France. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19042316. [PMID: 35206505 PMCID: PMC8872276 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this study were to assess oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among orthodontic patients between the ages of 15 and 17 years old compared to adolescents without orthodontic treatment. This cross-sectional study included 392 adolescents drawn from various French teaching hospitals. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect data. Adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment had a higher knowledge of oral health than adolescents without orthodontic treatment. The majority of adolescents for both groups (69%) claimed to brush their teeth twice a day. Regarding complimentary dental material, 81.9% of adolescents without orthodontic treatment never used an interdental brush and 78.8% never used dental floss. For those undergoing orthodontic treatment, 48.5% never used an interdental brush. Only 4% of adolescents without and 3% of adolescents with orthodontic treatment never consumed fizzy drinks, 4.9% and 3% never consumed sweets, and 4% and 8.4% never ate fast-food. Adolescents without treatment consumed more sodas (p = 0.048) and more fast food (p = 0.029). Adolescents had insufficient knowledge of oral health. Health education programmes should be implemented to improve adolescents’ knowledge and individual oral prophylaxis with interdental brushes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Inquimbert
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France;
- Laboratory “Health Systemic Process”, UR4129, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France; (C.C.); (D.B.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-666957674
| | - Celine Clement
- Laboratory “Health Systemic Process”, UR4129, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France; (C.C.); (D.B.); (F.C.)
- “Interpsy” Laboratory, University of Lorraine, EA 4432, 54015 Nancy, France
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Nancy, 54000 Nancy, France
| | - Antoine Couatarmanach
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Rennes, UMR 6051, CHU Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France;
| | - Paul Tramini
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France;
| | - Denis Bourgeois
- Laboratory “Health Systemic Process”, UR4129, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France; (C.C.); (D.B.); (F.C.)
| | - Florence Carrouel
- Laboratory “Health Systemic Process”, UR4129, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France; (C.C.); (D.B.); (F.C.)
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Bastani P, Bahrami MA, Kapellas K, Yusefi A, Rossi-Fedele G. Online oral health information seeking experience and knowledge, attitudes and practices of oral health among iranian medical students: an online survey. BMC Oral Health 2022; 22:29. [PMID: 35120496 PMCID: PMC8814779 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-022-02061-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The internet is increasingly used as a source of health information. This study aimed to explore the online oral health information seeking experience, to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of oral health, and to investigate the associations between online oral health information seeking experience and oral health KAP of participants. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. Three hundred and ninety-five university students participated in the study. Required data were gathered using two valid questionnaires eHIQ (e-Health Information Questionnaire) and Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior Questionnaire. eHIQ was a 2-part instrument with 37 items. eHIQ-Part 1 includes 11 items related to general views of using the internet in relation to health. eHIQ-Part 2 includes 26 items related to the consequences of using specific health-related online sources. The second questionnaire includes 30 items as a combination of multiple-choice and yes/no type questions. The data were analyzed using the statistical analysis software SPSS version 20. Mean scores, standard deviation, and frequency distribution were obtained. Independent T-test, correlation coefficients and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used in the analysis. Results Participants had good KAP of oral health. The between-group differences tests showed that oral health knowledge and attitudes were significantly different between gender and years of study groups, but the differences of oral health practices were significant only based on years of study. Participants had moderate scores regarding all sub-scales of eHIQ-Parts 1 and 2. Findings revealed that online oral health information seeking behavior was associated with oral health KAP (p < 0.05). Conclusion According to the results the general views of using the internet in relation to health and the consequences of using specific health-related online sources were in a moderate level among the participants. Such results can emphasize the need for more planning, education and empowerment of the population`s health literacy. The present study also provides good insights for the latter and has practical and policy implications besides its research values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peivand Bastani
- Faculty of Health and Behavioral Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Mohammad Amin Bahrami
- School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Health Human Resource Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Kostas Kapellas
- Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Adelaide Dental School, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Alireza Yusefi
- Department of Public Health, School of Health, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran
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Lakshmi KPD, Bharath C, Venkatalakshmi S, Saravanan N. Correlation of pharmacy students' knowledge, attitude, and practices with their oral health status in Salem city-A cross-sectional survey. J Family Med Prim Care 2020; 9:1944-1949. [PMID: 32670945 PMCID: PMC7346931 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1172_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the basic sciences also contributes in health maintenance and promotion for the population. Objectives The primary objective was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among pharmacy students in Salem toward oral health. Secondary objectives are to correlate KAP with their oral health status. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out using self-administered 16-item pretested and pre-validated questionnaire and oral health status data were collected using the WHO oral health assessment form (1997) targeting pharmacy students Vinayaka Missions College of pharmacy. Six, four, and six questions were used to assess pharmacy students' knowledge, attitude, and practice, respectively. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0 to perform the Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman's correlation, and linear regression analysis. Results 386 participated in the survey (263 males and 123 females). The highest mean for knowledge was among 17-21 years of age group students (18.07 ± 3.07) and this was statistically significant when compared to another age group (P < 0.05). The gender difference was seen with males having a significantly (P < 0.001) more positive mean ± SD oral health KAP compared to their female counterparts. KAP scores upon correlation revealed a positive relationship between knowledge-attitude (r = 0.015), knowledge-practice (r = 0.016), and attitude-practice (r = 0.069). Results 386 participated in the survey (263 males and 123 females). The highest mean for knowledge was among 17-21 years of age group students (18.07 ± 3.07) and this was statistically significant when compared to another age group (P < 0.05). The gender difference was seen with males having a significantly (P < 0.001) more positive mean ± SD oral health KAP compared to their female counterparts. KAP scores upon correlation revealed a positive relationship between knowledge-attitude (r = 0.015), knowledge-practice (r = 0.016), and attitude-practice (r = 0.069). Conclusion Results of this study suggest that oral health KAP of students is inadequate and needs to be improved as they play an important role in the patients' counseling toward oral care.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Priya Deepa Lakshmi
- Department of Public Health Dentistry, Vinayaka Mission Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - C Bharath
- Department of Public Health Dentistry, Vinayaka Mission Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S Venkatalakshmi
- Department of Public Health Dentistry, Vinayaka Mission Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - N Saravanan
- Department of Public Health Dentistry, Vinayaka Mission Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
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Al-Qahtani SM, Razak PA, Khan SDAA. Knowledge and Practice of Preventive Measures for Oral Health Care among Male Intermediate Schoolchildren in Abha, Saudi Arabia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17030703. [PMID: 31973187 PMCID: PMC7038016 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17030703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The aims of this study were to evaluate oral health knowledge and assess the practice of preventive measures for oral health care among intermediate schoolchildren in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Information about oral health was collected through a questionnaire containing closed-ended questions, which was distributed to children of six randomly selected intermediate schools. Most (82.3%) of the schoolchildren were aware that good oral health is important for general health. The priority for oral health information was given to dentists (31.6%), whereas teachers were given the least priority (19.1%). About half (53.5%) of the schoolchildren reported that sweets are the cause of dental caries, and 47.1% of them related pain with dental caries. More than half (58.8%) took sweets between meals. Most of them (69.6%) visited a dentist because of pain. Two-thirds (66.9%) of the children did not brush their teeth daily, and most (78%) did not use dental floss. A large number (62.7%) of the schoolchildren stated that rinsing with water after each meal is the best way to keep their gums healthy. For boys in intermediate schools, properly designed oral health educational programs should be implemented to improve their knowledge and behavior toward oral health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Masood Al-Qahtani
- Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Najran University, Najran 11001, Saudi Arabia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +96-650-455-2700
| | - Pervez Abdul Razak
- Faculty of Dentistry, School of Health Sciences, University of Georgia, Tbilisi 0171, Georgia;
| | - Siraj DAA Khan
- Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Najran University, Najran 11001, Saudi Arabia;
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