Knowledge, attitude and behavioural survey regarding oral hygiene practices amongst rural and urban population of Ahmedabad City, Gujarat: A comparative study

Abstract

Introduction: It is thought that oral hygiene can be influenced by socioeconomic status to some extent. People with higher socioeconomic status often have better access to resources and opportunities, which can impact their oral hygiene practices and overall dental health. Hence, this study assessed knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding oral health amongst the adult population in urban and rural populations of Ahmedabad city. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out amongst the urban and rural segments of Ahmedabad district. The zones of the district and participants were selected by systematic random sampling method. The participants in the Ahmedabad district were selected, and those 204 who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were considered. A validated questionnaire was designed in our study so as to satisfy the quality, attain the objective of our study and make the study effective. Results: About 70.42% of the rural population and 77.30% of the urban population has good knowledge, while only 36.1% of the rural population and 47.16% of the urban population had a positive attitude towards oral hygiene practices. 61.27% of the rural population and 64.81% of the urban population showed positive behaviour. The absence of correlation was identified between knowledge-attitude and attitude-behaviour. Conclusion: It has been found that a massive number of the urban population possess a higher level of knowledge and attitude towards oral health than the rural population. No linear positive correlation was seen in knowledge, attitude and behaviour towards oral health.

Keywords

• knowledge
• oral health
• urban and rural population