Oral Health Behavior of Medical, Dental, and Pharmacology Students in Taif University: A Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-92
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Sater Aljauid ◽  
Abdullah Owaid Al-Otaibi ◽  
Mohammed Mamdoud Aldawood ◽  
Roshan Noor Mohamed ◽  
Sakeenabi Basha ◽  
...  

Aim: Poor oral health and high caries prevalence in young adults in Saudi Arabia is the result of inadequate oral health knowledge and inappropriate oral health behavior. The present study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and oral hygiene behavior of young adult students pursuing professional courses in Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted amongst the medical, dental, and pharmacy students of Taif University. A pretested self-administered questionnaire containing 20 questions was administered to the students, and the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM, version 20 for Windows, SPSS Inc., Armonk, New York, USA). Descriptive analysis and difference in the association were measured by using the chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance, followed by the Mann-Whitney U test. The level of significance was set at .05. Results: A total of 500 (287 males and 213 females) students were involved in the survey with the mean age of 23 ± 1.4 years. Fourteen percent of participants brushed at least twice daily with statistical significant gender difference ( P = .001). For the query regarding the reason for skipping tooth brushing often, 113 of total participants (22.6%) responded as no time for tooth brushing. A total of 93 participants (18.6%) responded that they have not visited any dentist in their life, with the statistical significant difference for gender being P = .001. The student who received dental treatment from private hospitals was 60.4 percent. Fifty-one percent of students responded that dental treatment is expensive. Sixty-one percent of participants responded for consuming sweet at least once in a day ( P = .04). Conclusion: The present study highlights the inconsistency in oral health behavior among the study participants, emphasizing on the need for oral health education of the population to improve oral health status.

Author(s):  
Yaswitha Jampani ◽  
Deepika Kandukuri ◽  
B Vikram Simha ◽  
Asha Lodagala ◽  
Namratha Kasarnenivi

Aim: To compare the oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior among pre-clinical and clinical undergraduate dental students. Methodology: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted among pre-clinical and clinical undergraduate students at a teaching dental institution in Andhra Pradesh.A total of 357students were selected using non- probability purposive sampling technique. Modified English version of Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI) Questionnaire consisting of 31 closed ended questions has been implemented in this study after performing appropriate psychometric analysis. Results:Knowledge, attitude and behavior differences between preclinical and clinical students were analyzed by Student’s t-testand statistically significant difference was obtained with p value of 0.004.Chi- square test was employed for dichotomous datai.e. to find the differences in the distribution of "yes" among students from the different academic year as well as between male and female students.Majority of females (86.3%) have responded that they don’t use tooth brush with hard bristles for cleaning their teeth which is high when compared to males (73.4%) and the difference is statistically significant (p=0.01). There is also a statistically significant difference with respect to smoking habits between males and females (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The outcome of this study shows clinical students having higher oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior scoresthan preclinical students and also the self-reported quality of overall oral health behavior was more pronounced in clinical students.Specific educational and awarenessprograms should be planned for the preclinical students. Keywords: Dental students, Oral health knowledge, Oral health behavior,Oral health education.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (02) ◽  
pp. 162-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mehdi Naghibi Sistani ◽  
Jorma Virtanen ◽  
Reza Yazdani ◽  
Heikki Murtomaa

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the association of oral health behavior (OHB) and the use of dental services with oral health literacy (OHL) among Iranian adults.Methods: This was a cross-sectional population study of a random sample of 1031 adults aged 18–65 in Tehran, Iran. We collected data on tooth brushing frequency, the consumption of sugary snacks and beverages, and time since last dental visit. To measure OHL, we used a validated OHL adults' questionnaire (OHL-AQ). In addition to descriptive analysis, we used multiple logistic regression models to assess the association of OHB and the most recent dental visit with OHL while controlling for socioeconomic and demographic factors.Results: The participants' mean age was 36.3 (standard deviation 12.9), and 51% were women. Of the participants, 81.3% reported brushing their teeth daily (≥1/day), 37.6% consumed sugary snacks or beverages between meals less than once daily (<1/day), and 36.8% used dental services within the past 6 months. In the adjusted models, high OHL scores significantly correlated with daily (≥1/day) tooth brushing (odds ratio [OR] = 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30–2.98), the consumption of sugary snacks or beverages (<1/day between meals) (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.13–2.15) and the recent use of dental services (≤6 months) (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.15–2.21), respectively.Conclusions: OHL relates significantly to improved OHB and the use of dental services. Oral health promotion programs should, therefore, take into account improvements in adults' OHL, particularly in countries with developing health-care services.


Author(s):  
Angela G Brega ◽  
Rachel L Johnson ◽  
Sarah J Schmiege ◽  
Anne R Wilson ◽  
Luohua Jiang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Health literacy (HL) is the “ability to find, understand, evaluate and put information to use to improve decision making and, ultimately, improve health and quality of life.” Parents with limited HL are less likely to follow recommended parental oral health behaviors. Purpose We tested a theoretical framework designed to clarify mechanisms through which HL may influence parental oral health behavior. The framework proposed that HL: (a) has a direct effect on parental oral health knowledge, beliefs (i.e. self-efficacy; perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers), and behavior; (b) influences beliefs indirectly through knowledge; and (c) influences behavior indirectly through knowledge and beliefs. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from a randomized controlled trial designed to reduce dental decay in American Indian children (N = 521). Parents completed survey questions assessing sociodemographic characteristics, HL, and parental oral health knowledge, beliefs, and behavior. Path analysis was used to test the framework. Results HL exerted significant direct effects on knowledge and beliefs but not behavior. HL had significant indirect effects on all beliefs through knowledge. Significant indirect effects of HL on behavior occurred through self-efficacy (estimate: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.42, 1.83, p = .005), perceived barriers (estimate: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.29, 1.43, p = .010), knowledge to self-efficacy (estimate: 0.57, 95% CI: .31, 0.98, p = .001), and knowledge to perceived barriers (estimate: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.47, p = .012). Conclusions HL exerted an indirect effect on parental oral health behavior, with knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers being the primary constructs linking HL to behavior.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-34
Author(s):  
Suada Branković ◽  
Seila Cilovic-Lagarija ◽  
Aida Pilav ◽  
Adisa Peštek-Ahmetagić ◽  
Mediha Selimović-Dragaš ◽  
...  

Introduction: Unhealthy behavior such as neglecting to brush and floss, using tobacco and alcohol, and inadequate nutrition can adversely affect dental health. The frequency of dental visits is also of great importance in the early detection of different oral disorders. Our aim was to assess oral health behavior and attitudes among students of the 1st year of  two health and non-health oriented studies of University of Sarajevo. Methods: We included 119 students of the 1st year of Faculty of Health Studies and 108 students of the 1st year of Faculty of Architecture of the University of Sarajevo. A self-administered questionnaire was used, comprising demographic data, data on oral hygiene habits, dental attendance pattern, a number of extracted teeth as well as problems with the appearance, comfort, and social life due to teeth problems. Results: Faculty of Architecture students significantly more often visit their dentist (χ2 = 24.174, df = 5, p = 0.00). Faculty of Health Studies students have significantly more extracted teeth (χ2 = 35.54, df = 4, p = 0.001). Dental health habits were significantly better at the students Faculty of Architecture (χ2 = 16.391, df = 2, p = 0.001). No significant difference between the groups about about avoiding encounters due to teeth and dentures problems. Conclusion: Oral health related attitudes may be better in students of non-health oriented studies, however, these results have to be confirmed by more investigations and larger studies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne CY Chan ◽  
Luzy SH Chin

This survey examined the oral health knowledge and psychological determinants of oral health behavior of 1019 undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students. Overall, most of the students perceived their oral health to be average, and their flossing and dental visiting frequencies were inadequate. Moreover, the students’ oral health knowledge was suboptimal, regardless of the type of study, and it was not significantly associated with oral health behavior. Binary logistic regression showed that toothbrushing self-efficacy and the type of study were both significantly associated with toothbrushing behavior. Furthermore, flossing self-efficacy and dental visiting self-efficacy were both significantly associated with flossing and dental visiting behaviors, respectively.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Muhammad Nazir ◽  
Muhanad Alhareky

Objective. To report the prevalence of dental phobia and associated factors among pregnant women. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study included pregnant women visiting hospitals in Dhahran, Khobar, and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to assess dental anxiety and phobia. The score of MDAS ranges from 5 to 25, and a cutoff value of 19 was used to identify participants with dental phobia. Results. The study analyzed data of 825 participants with mean age of 29.08 ± 5.18 years. The prevalence of dental phobia was 16.1%. About 46.9% of the sample believed that dental treatment should be avoided during pregnancy, and the importance of regular dental checkup was recognized by 16.4% of the participants. Dental phobia was associated with the perception of the health of teeth (P 0.004) and gums (P 0.016). Multiple logistic regression showed that being under the age of 30 years (OR 0.63, P 0.019) and updating knowledge about oral health (OR 0.49, P 0.006) were significantly associated with reduced likelihood of dental phobia. However, having bad dental experience (OR 2.13, P 0.001) and being in first trimester of pregnancy (OR 1.57, P 0.033) were significantly associated with increased odds of dental phobia. Conclusions. A considerable proportion of pregnant women reported dental phobia. The bad dental experience was associated with increased dental phobia. However, reduced likelihood of dental phobia was associated with updating oral health knowledge. Healthcare professionals may consider these factors to reduce dental phobia and improve oral health of pregnant women.


Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 416
Author(s):  
Shahabe Saquib Abullais ◽  
Falah Mohammed Falah Al-Shahrani ◽  
Khalaf Mohammed Saeed Al-Gafel ◽  
Al-Harthi Abdulrahman Saeed ◽  
Shouq Abdulrahman Al-Mathami ◽  
...  

Oral health is perhaps the most neglected aspect of healthcare for persons living in rehabilitation centers, compared to the general population. The caregivers play a vital role in administering daily oral care to residents in rehabilitation centers: The aim of the present questionnaire-based study was to evaluate the caregivers’ knowledge, attitude and practices towards oral healthcare at centers for the intellectually disabled in the Southern region of Saudi Arabia (SA). The present study was designed as a cross-sectional one-point time survey. The samples were selected by using a non-probability convenience sampling method. The self-administered closed-ended questionnaire comprised of 22 items divided into four sections, which was designed to elicit the demographic information, awareness of oral care, attitude towards oral health and practice of the oral healthcare regime among the participants. Of the164 participants, 53.0% and 47.0% were male and female, respectively. Most of the participants—54.9%—were between 30–39 years of age. Participants were almost equally distributed between educational groups, and about 87% had more than 2 years of experience. A brief overview showed a fair level of knowledge and attitude among 61.6% and 58.5% of respondents, respectively. Participants with an education level above that of high school showed good knowledge and attitude scores (p < 0.05), whereas females showed better attitude scores compared to the males (p < 0.05). Respondents mentioned the difficulties they faced while treating the subjects. The special healthcare workers generally had acceptable oral health knowledge and practices. Caregivers who had lower education levels should be advised for training programs that addressed the importance of oral health services.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Bozorgmehr ◽  
Abolghasem Hajizamani ◽  
Tayebeh Malek Mohammadi

Introduction. It is widely acknowledged that the behavior of parents affects their children’s health. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between oral health behavior of parents and oral health status and behavior of their children in a sample of preschool children in Iran. Method and Material. A random sample of over-five-year-old preschool children and their parents were enrolled in the study. Selection of schools was by clustering method. Parents were asked to fill a piloted questionnaire which included demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, oral health behaviors of children and their parents. Oral health status of children was examined. The parent and their children oral health relationship were tested using regression and correlation analysis. Results. About 222 parents and children participated in the study. There was a significant relationship between history of having dental problems in parents and dmft index in their children (P=0.01). There was a significant relationship between parental frequency of tooth brushing and child frequency of tooth brushing (P=0.05); however, there was no significant relationship between parental frequency of dental visits and those of their children (P=0.1). Conclusion. The study concluded that some important health behaviors in parents, such as tooth brushing habits are important determinants of these behaviors in their young children. So promoting parent knowledge and attitude could affect their children oral health behavior and status.


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