Impact of oral diseases on daily activities among 12- to 15-year-old institutionalized orphan and non-orphan children in Bengaluru city: A cross-sectional analytical study

Background and Objective

As parents are the primary decision-makers of child's health, a study was conducted to assess and compare the oral health status and impact of oral diseases on daily activities among 12- to 15-year-old institutionalized orphan and non-orphan children in Bengaluru city.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 210 orphans and 210 government school children living with parents. Data with regard to the impact of oral diseases on daily activities were collected by means of Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (C-OIDP) index, and oral health status was determined using WHO Oral Health Assessment Form 1997.

Statistical Analysis

Descriptive statistics of the key variables were reported and data were analyzed using Pearson's Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test, One-way analysis of variance and Step-wise multiple linear regression analysis. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05 for this study.

Results

Common oral health problems perceived by orphans and non-orphans were bleeding gums (16.8% and 12.4%) and toothache (12.7% and 13.7%), respectively. The daily performances most affected were cleaning mouth (33.3%; orphans 5.35 ± 4.22; non-orphans 7.05 ± 7.55; P = 0.000) and eating (33.1%; orphans 6.91 ± 6.09; non-orphans 7.07 ± 6.78; P = 0.003). Oral mucosal condition, dental fluorosis, dentofacial anomalies, and calculus showed significant difference among orphans and non-orphans (P = 0.000).

Conclusion

C-OIDP score was high in orphans. Age, dental fluorosis, and decayed teeth were the significant factors for determining C-OIDP score. More than half of the study subjects were suffering from oral diseases which required treatment to improve their quality of life.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of needle stick and sharps injuries among dental professionals of Bangalore, India

Background:

A needle stick injury (NSI) is an accidental skin-penetrating stab wound from a hollow-bore needle containing another person's blood or body fluid. Healthcare workers (HCWs) including dental professionals are at an occupational risk of exposure to blood-borne pathogens following NSIs and sharps injuries (SIs). A thorough understanding of the safe practices while handling needles and sharps is crucial for HCWs to create a risk-free work place environment.

Aims and Objectives:

To assess the knowledge, attitude, practice, and prevalence of NSIs and SIs among dental professionals in a dental college at Bangalore.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in September 2012 using a structured, pretested, guided interview-based questionnaire that was administered to 200 dental professionals in a dental college at Bangalore to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices, and self-report information of NSIs.

Results:

In the present study, 81.5% of dental professionals were vaccinated against hepatitis B. A total of 27.5% participants had an NSI during the previous 12 months. About 41.80% of NSIs occurred during device recapping. Most common reason for failure to report the incidents of NSIs, as declared by 29.09% of the participants, included the fear of being blamed or getting into trouble for having an NSI.

Conclusion:

The knowledge of dental professionals on NSIs and their preventive measures are inadequate; however, training on Universal Precaution Guidelines, protocols regarding post-exposure prophylaxis, and safety devices has to be provided to prevent such injuries in future among the dental professionals.

Knowledge, attitude and behavioral determinants of tobacco use among 13-15 year old school children

Background:

The epidemic of tobacco use is one of the greatest threats to global health today. Tobacco attributable deaths in India currently range from 800,000 to 900,000 per year. Adolescents are among the most vulnerable group to start tobacco use. Information on tobacco use among the youth is necessary to establish control measures against it.

Objectives:

To assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavioral determinants of tobacco use among high school students (age13–15 years) in Bangalore.

Materials and Method:

A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 3 weeks in the month of September 2012. A structured, pretested questionnaire was administered randomly to 500 high school students in Bangalore to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavioral determinants of tobacco use.

Results:

Majority of the study population [94.4% (472/500)] believed that smoking is definitely harmful to our health. Also, 39.0% of the participants of age 13 years believed that smoking does not help in socializing and 92.2% of study subjects had negative attitude toward starting the habit. Most of them (83.9%) had a negative perception about smokers that they lack confidence. However, less than 1% of the study population had a habit of smoking at this young age.

Conclusion:

Awareness of the harmful effects of smoking was high among the study population. The study provides insight into the factors to consider while planning adolescent anti-smoking programs in this and similar settings.