KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE & PRACTICE ON ORAL HYGIENE AMONG SCHOOL-GOING CHILDREN OF URBAN AREAS OF DISTRICT PESHAWAR

Abstract

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of school children toward oral health.

Materials and Methods: School children (n=390) aged 10 to 19 years were recruited from Peshawar public and private schools and stratified according to the monthly fee structure of the schools into three strata, low SES status (fee < 1000 PKR), middle SES (fee = 1000-2500 PKR), and high socioeconomic status (SES) (fee > 2500 PKR). Two schools were se­lected using a stratified random technique from each stratum. A simple random sampling technique (balloting) was used to select students from each selected school. Participants completed a pre-validated questionnaire. that aimed to evaluate young school children’s behavior, knowledge, and perception of their oral health and dental treatment. Data were analyzed using SPSS and percentages were calculated.

Results: The results showed that both genders had significant knowledge about oral hygiene while the female had more knowledge than boys with a p-value<0.001.

Conclusion: Majority of students had a positive attitude toward oral hygiene as they were aware of the benefits of brushing teeth, the effects of dental caries, and the effects of chocolate and sticky foods. The children preferred the use of toothpaste over miswak whereas they followed the horizontal technique of brushing. In this study, children showed that they brushed their teeth once a day.