| JNDA Vol. 21 No. 1 Issue 32 (January - June 2021) | |
Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Medical and Non-Medical Students at a Tertiary Hospital |
|
| Dr. Swagat Kumar Mahanta, Dr. Manoj Humagain, Dr. Dilip Prajapati, Dr. Biva Paudial, Dr. Prejina Upadhyay | |
Download Full Article ![]() 346.53KB |
|
| Abstract | |
Introduction: The personal health behaviour is important in individual for the maintenance of general health and this depends to some or more extent on the oral health behaviour. As oral health is linked to systemic health and medical professionals deal with patients on an everyday basis, it is essential for students themselves to know about oral health and its usage in daily life for effective patient management and education. Objective: To assess and compare the oral health knowledge, attitude, and behaviour among the medical and non-medical students of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS). Materials and Method: This was an analytical cross-sectional study done among 150 medical and 150 non-medical students of KUSMS, conducted from December 2019 to January 2020. A 20-item questionnaire was used. Clinical oral hygiene status was assessed using World Health Organisation Oral Health Assessment Form for Adults 2013. SPSS v.20 was used for data analysis. Unpaired t-test and descriptive statistics were carried out. Result: Mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were significantly higher among BDS students as compared to other disciplines (P <0.01). Overall medical students scored significantly higher in all three domains. On clinical examination, non-medical students had higher DMFT (2.08±1.3) and gingivitis scores (3.9±1.4) as compared to medical students. Conclusion: The present study showed that medical students scored higher scores than non-medical students. They also showed better caries and gingivitis status. More focus should be placed on oral health education and its importance for all the students. |
|
| Keywords | |
Attitude; knowledge; medical; practice; students. |
|