Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice toward oral hygiene among governmental secondary school students in Debre Tabor Town, Amhara Region, North Central Ethiopia 2018: Institutional-based cross-sectional survey

Yilkal Tafere Gualie, Asnakew Tigabu Tayachew

International Journal of Oral Health Sciences 2018 8(2):92-98

Introduction: Oral health is significantly related to oral hygiene behaviors and their knowledge. Poor oral hygiene can have a profound effect on the quality of life. Oral hygiene practices are those measures taken to ensure that the mouth is clean. Oral hygiene practices are essential for the prevention of dental and other associated systemic diseases. The aim of this study is to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and oral hygiene practices among secondary school students in Debre Tabor town, Amhara region, North Central Ethiopia 2018. Materials and Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 systematically selected students using stratified random sampling technique from January 20 to 30, 2018. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire on 422 selected students in three secondary schools found in Debre Tabor town. Variables collected included the frequency of brushing teeth and the use of toothpaste, knowledge of plaque, and students' perception of the importance of oral hygiene practices. The data were entered into Epi-Info version 3.5 and cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 422 patients participated in the study; among whom 216 (51.2%) were female students. The study revealed that 253 (60%) of the respondents had good knowledge with regard to oral hygiene, more than half 281 (66.6%) of the students had positive attitude toward oral hygiene, but their oral hygiene practices were still low that 260 (61.6%) of the students had poor oral hygiene practice. Conclusions: The study showed that more than half of the respondents had good knowledge and positive attitude toward oral hygiene to maintain proper oral health, but their practices toward oral hygiene were remain poor. The majority of students were aware that teachers and parents had not an important role to play in their oral hygiene. Establishment of oral health education programs in the school curriculum that will help a life-long oral hygiene practice in the school environment and at large in the community with the support of teachers and parents are crucial.

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