A descriptive study on knowledge of schoolchildren regarding prevention of dental caries

Abstract

Context: Dental caries is considered to be a major public health problem globally due to its high prevalence and significant social impact. The World Health Organization reports 60-90% of schoolchildren worldwide have experienced caries, with the disease being most prevalent in Asian and Latin American countries. Aim: To determine the level of knowledge regarding prevention of dental carries among schoolchildren and to find an association between the knowledge on prevention of dental caries and the selected baseline variables. Materials and Methods:A descriptive design was used for the present study. The subjects consisted of 100 higher primary schoolchildren from a government school who were selected using purposive sampling method. Data were collected by administering a structured knowledge questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, median, and standard deviation, and inferential statistics such as chi-square test was used. Result: Majority of the schoolchildren (50%) had average knowledge, 33% had good knowledge, 16% had poor knowledge, and 1% had very good knowledge regarding the prevention of dental caries. There was a significant association between the level of knowledge and the selected baseline variables such as age. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that a majority of the subjects had average knowledge on the prevention of dental caries, which indicates that children are at risk of developing dental caries. Hence, this study may help to develop healthy interventions about the prevention of dental caries among schoolchildren.

Keywords

• Dental caries
• knowledge
• knowledge on prevention of dental caries
• schoolchildren