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CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU 2023; 13(04): 543-550
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1760439
Original Article

Knowledge and Practices Regarding Oral Hygiene, Cariogenic Diet Intake, and Dental Check-Ups Among Registered Nurses in Nigeria: A Pilot Study

Authors

  • Kehinde Kazeem Kanmodi 

    1   Cephas Health Research Initiative Inc, Ibadan, Nigeria
    2   Department of Community Health, Aminu Musa Habib College of Health Science and Technology, Yauri, Nigeria
    3   School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
    4   Faculty of Dentistry, University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

  • Babatunde Abiodun Amoo 

    1   Cephas Health Research Initiative Inc, Ibadan, Nigeria
    5   African Field Epidemiology Network, Abuja, Nigeria

  • Jacob Njideka Nwafor

    1   Cephas Health Research Initiative Inc, Ibadan, Nigeria
    6   Department of Medicine, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust, Nottingham, United Kingdom

  • Lawrence Achilles Nnyanzi 

    3   School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
    7   School of Public Health, King Ceasar University, Kampala, Uganda

  • Mike Eghosa Ogbeide 

    1   Cephas Health Research Initiative Inc, Ibadan, Nigeria
    8   Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria

  • Abdullahi Adamu Hundeji

    2   Department of Community Health, Aminu Musa Habib College of Health Science and Technology, Yauri, Nigeria

  • Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji

    9   Department of Microbiology, Edo State University, Uzairue, Nigeria

Funding None.
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Abstract

Objectives To investigate the knowledge and practices of registered nurses in Nigeria concerning oral hygiene, cariogenic diets, and dental check-ups through a pilot study.

Methods This study was an online survey of 129 registered nurses in Nigeria. Data were collected via the WhatsApp social media using an electronic questionnaire (Google form). Data analysis was done using the SPSS version 26 software (IBM Corp, New York, USA).

Results The response and completeness rates of this pilot study were 41.7% (129/311) and 96.9% 9125/129), respectively. The majority (62.2%) of the respondents were females. The majority (89.1%) had average/above average score on basic oral health knowledge; however, there was no significant relationship between their level of basic oral health knowledge and their sociodemographic characteristics (p > 0.05). The majority (66.7%) of the respondents brushed twice daily, 86.8% used a fluoridated toothpaste, and 60.5% changed their toothbrush every 3 months. Furthermore, more than half (55.8%) consumed sugary snack/drink on daily basis, while 55.0% rinsed their mouth with water immediately after taking sugary snack, and only 55.8% did floss their teeth. Among those who flossed their teeth, only 37.5% did it once daily. It is also striking that 26.4% of the respondents had never visited a dentist for a dental check-up.

Conclusion Study findings showed a high level of basic oral health knowledge and a lower level of appropriate oral self-care practices among nurses in Nigeria. However, there is a need for a nationally representative study of nurses in Nigeria to further establish these findings.

Keywords

oral hygiene - knowledge - practice - nurse - Nigeria


Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
17. März 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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