Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry (Dec 2023)
Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior Among Health Professions’ Students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Hedayatullah Ehsan,1,2 Nazera Ahmadzai,3 Zarlasht Orfani,2 Bibi Marwa Rezayee,2 Moqadasa Wally,2 Sardara Daftani2 1Medical Sciences Research Center, Ghalib University, Kabul, Afghanistan; 2School of Stomatology, Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, Afghanistan; 3Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, AfghanistanCorrespondence: Hedayatullah Ehsan, Speen Kalay, Khushal Khan Mina, Kabul, 1010, Afghanistan, Tel +93775816022, Email [email protected]: Numerous investigations have revealed that oral issues are quite common among young Afghans. Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior are the three oral health-related population dimensions that need to be assessed in order to design effective public health awareness programs.Objective: The study’s goal was to find out how much health professions’ students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences knew about oral health, as well as their attitudes and behaviors toward dental health and oral hygiene routines.Materials and Methods: From September 2022 to December 2022, cross-sectional research was conducted at Kabul University of Medical Sciences. A total of 496 health professions’ students (312 females and 184 males) aged 18– 25 years old from 5 colleges of health and medical-related disciplines were addressed. All participants were given a thorough questionnaire with 30 amended items modified from Peterson et al and Stenberg et al.Results: 44.5% (n=220) of the participants brushed their teeth twice per day, 41.3% (n=204) once per day, and 9.31% (n=46) more than twice per day, while just 4.7% (n=23) cleaned their teeth less than once per day. Surprisingly, the majority of participants (91% or n=451) were aware of the significance of routine dental visits, and 51.3% (n=252) of participants reported visiting the dentist while they experienced pain. 94% of students were of the opinion that brushing their teeth prevents dental decay. 93% (n=461) of them agreed that using fluoride strengthens teeth, and 96% (n=476) said that sweets are bad for teeth.Conclusion: Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours are related to an individual’s level of education. Female and generally dental professions’ participants, rather than other health professions participants, were more likely to be concerned about their oral health than male participants.Keywords: oral health, dental care, knowledge, attitudes, students, public health
