Oral Health Practices of Adult Inhabitants of a Traditional Community in Ibadan, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Although, the association between oral health care practices and sociodemographic characteristics of populations have been documented, information is sparse on sociodemographic indices influencing oral health practices of residents of traditional communities. The study aimed to describe the oral health practices of adult inhabitants of a traditional community in Nigeria.METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving adult residents in randomly selected houses in Idikan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Data on their oral health care practices was obtained with the use of structured interviewer administered questionnaires. Data was analysed with SPSS and test of association carried out using Chi square.RESULTS: A total of 390 adult residents participated in the study, of which 56.2% were males. A total of 196 (50.3%) participants used toothbrush solely to clean their teeth, 72 (18.5%) used chewing sticks alone while119 (30.5%) used both tooth brush and chewing stick. Older residents of the community, those with no formal education and in lower occupational classes were more likely to use chewing stick (p < 0.05). The majority(68.7%) cleaned their teeth once daily, 30% cleaned twice while 1.3% cleaned infrequently. Educational level attained and occupational class were significantly related to frequency of oral hygiene. Nearly all (95.4%)of the participants knew that oral health services are available in most hospitals, yet only 35.9% had ever visited a dental centre with a significantly higher proportion being males (p < 0.05).CONCLUSION: The study showed that the oral health practices of a typical traditional community in Nigeria are highly influenced by socioeconomic considerations.  KEY WORDS: Oral health, practices, traditionalcommunity

How valid are the psychometric properties of the oral health impact profile-14 measure in adult dental patients in Ibadan, Nigeria?

BACKGROUND: The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) is the most widely used quality of life (QoL) measure to evaluate the influence of oral diseases on individuals. QoL measures have been noted to be context and environment specific, and there is a need to cross-culturally adapt a scale before its introduction into any community. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties, validity and internal consistency of the OHIP-14 measure in an adult patient population in Ibadan, Nigeria.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a four-month period on 204 adult patients using OHIP-14 structured questionnaire, global self-report indicator of oral conditions and perceived treatment need. Oral examinations were performed to assess periodontal status, caries  experience and attachment loss. Data were analyzed using SPSS and p-value for statistical significance was set at < 0.05.Results: A total of 204 patients participated in the study with a mean OHIP score of 11.2 (± 9.8). OHIP scores were not related to the  sociodemographic characteristics. Perception of need for treatment was greater among those who reported impacts on their QoL (89.3% vs. 14.3%, p < 0.001). The OHIP scores correlated negatively with global self rating of oral health status (rho = -0.23, p < 0.01). Higher OHIP scores were  associated with having carious teeth (p = 0.023). The Cronbach’s alpha for the 14 inventory items ranged from 0.857 to 0.871.CONCLUSION: The OHIP-14 measure showed good psychometric properties with satisfactory validity and internal consistency in adult patients in  Ibadan, Nigeria.Keywords: Oral health, quality of life, OHIP-14, validity, internal  consistenc

Quality of Records Keeping by Undergraduate Dental Students in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: Recording the interaction between a patient and the dentist is of primary importance in dental practice. The completeness of recordings of undergraduate students, often inadequate, has been found to subsequently impact on the quality of dental care offered by professionals. Once identified, correcting the inadequacies has also been shown to improve the quality of dental practice. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the quality of records keeping by dental students in Ibadan, Nigeria.Method: A retrospective review of records of patients seen by dental students, at the clinics of the dental school in Ibadan, Nigeria, over a six months period was conducted. The charts were reviewed for: demographic data, medical and dental history, clinical findings, diagnosis, treatmentplan and note on informed consent. Assessment of the quality of data obtained was done using a modified CRABEL’s scoring system.Results: A total of 318 case files were retrieved for this study. The median modified CRABEL score was 95%, with a range of 65 to 95%. Eighty-two recordings (25.2%) had a score < 90%, while 236 recordings (74.2%) had a score > 90%. The most frequently unrecorded data was written consent in all the charts, followed by procedure done with the documentation absent in 20.4%. All the supervisors signed at the end of the consultation.Conclusion: The quality of records keeping by dental undergraduates is fair but there is a need to emphasize deficient areas and improve upon the quality of record keeping.Keywords: dental record, students, CRABEL scor

Impact of Oral Health on The Quality of Life of Elementary School Teachers

BACKGROUND: The success of preventive school health programs is largely dependent on teachers who are role models to pupils and pivotal to implementation. It is therefore important to understand the perception of school teachers about the impact of oral health on their daily activities. The aim of this study was to assess oral health related quality of life of elementary school teachers by evaluating the impact of oral conditions like dental caries and periodontal disease on their daily performances and school work.METHODS: This was a descriptive cross sectional study in which 407 teachers were selected through multistage random sampling technique. Data were collected with structured interviewer-administered Oral Impact on Daily Performances (OIDP) questionnaires and by clinical oral examinations. Data were collated and analysed with SPSS.RESULTS: The prevalence of reporting of impacts on daily performances was 39.1% with eating and enjoying food being the most commonly impacted activity. Impacts on daily performances were more likely to be reported by teachers with better education (p = 0.019). Teachers with caries had higher odds of reporting impacts as a result of oral health status (CI: 1.04, 5.64, p = 0.040). The severity of periodontal disease found on clinical examination was not related to reporting of impacts on quality of life (p > 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The oral health status of school teachers impacted significantly on their daily performance and school work when they experienced pain. Painless but highly prevalent oral lesions were, however, not perceived to influence their quality of life.KEYWORDS: Oral health status, OIDP, quality of life, school-based program, teacher

Factors influencing awareness and attendance of traditional oral health care practices by residents of a peri-urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: In order to institute preventive programmes against harmful traditional oral health practices there is a need to identify targets.Objectives: To investigate factors influencing awareness and attendance of traditional oral health practices by residents of a peri-urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study of adult residents selected by simple random sampling in a peri-urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria, was conducted over a period of six months. Information was obtained with interviewer administered questionnaires. Data were recorded using SPSS version 16 software.Results: A total of 172 (44.1%) respondents were aware of the existence of traditional healers for dental problems. Only 34 (8.7%) participants had been to traditional healers on account of toothache. About 76.5% reported having relief after treatment with relapse occurring in 12 cases (46.2%). Twenty (58.8%) of these (34) participants said they would not choose this option of treating dental problems in future. Significant associations existed between knowing that traditional healers provided dental treatment and gender (p = 0.001) or history of dental problems (p =0.008).Conclusion: The study showed moderate awareness of traditional oral care practices in Ibadan, Nigeria as influenced by gender and previous dental problems.Key words: Traditional, oral health care, practices, awareness, attendance, factor

Effectiveness of an Oral Health Care Training Workshop for School Teachers: A Pilot Study

Background: School teachers play key roles in imparting appropriate and up-to-date knowledge to pupils and students. However, most teachers in developing countries like Nigeria have poor knowledge and motivation about oral health which may be due to inadequate training in the area of oral health. This might be one of the reasons for the poor oral hygiene among them and their students.Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an oral health care training programme organized for teachers in Eruwa, Oyo state, Nigeria. Methods: An intervention study was conducted among 40 school teachers who attended a two day oral health training workshop at Eruwa, headquarters of Ibarapa East Local Government Area. Training methods included lectures and demonstrations on aetiology, clinical features, treatment and prevention of common oral diseases. Pre- and post- evaluation written tests were administered to the participants to assess the effectiveness of the training. The knowledge scores were rated as poor, fair and good knowledge scoring <50.0%, 50.0-60.0% and > 60.0% respectively. Frequencies, percentages and means of relevant variables were generated. Paired t-test was used to compare means at P<0.05.Result: The mean age of the teachers was 40.13 ±7.24 years. There were 16 (40.0%) males and 24 (60.0%) females. Twenty (50.0%) of the participants had poor pre-training knowledge as compared to 7 (17.5%) after the training. Thirteen (32.5%) had fair pre-training knowledge as compared to 17 (42.5%) post training. Only (2.5%) of the participants had good pre-training knowledge as compared to 18 (45.0%) post training. The mean scores of the pre- and post-evaluation tests were 31.70 ±11.31 and 48.20 ±11.16 respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the pre and post evaluations P<0.05.Conclusions: The training workshop improved the knowledge of school teachers regarding oral health.Keywords: Effectiveness, Oral health training, Teachers

Associations between Emotional Distress, Sleep Changes, Decreased Tooth Brushing Frequency, Self-Reported Oral Ulcers and SARS-Cov-2 Infection during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Survey

This study assessed the association between emotional distress, sleep changes, decreased frequency of tooth brushing, and self-reported oral ulcers, and the association between COVID-19 status and decreased frequency of tooth brushing. Using a cross-sectional online survey, data were collected from adults in 152 countries between July and December 2020. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between dependent (decreased frequency of tooth brushing, oral ulcers, change in sleep pattern) and independent (tested positive for COVID-19, depression, anxiety, frustration/boredom, loneliness, anger, and grief/feeling of loss) variables after adjusting for confounders (age, sex, level of education, employment status). Of the 14,970 participants data analyzed, 1856 (12.4%) tested positive for COVID-19. Respondents who reported feeling depressed (AoR: 1.375), lonely (AoR: 1.185), angry (AoR: 1.299), and experienced sleep changes (AoR:1.466) had significantly higher odds of decreased tooth brushing frequency. Respondents who felt anxious (AoR: 1.255), angry (AoR: 1.510), grief/sense of loss (AoR: 1.236), and sleep changes (AoR: 1.262) had significantly higher odds of oral ulcers. Respondents who tested positive for COVID-19 had significantly higher odds of decreased tooth brushing frequency (AoR: 1.237) and oral ulcers (AoR: 2.780). These findings highlight that the relationship between emotional distress and oral health may intensify during a pandemic.</p

Associations between COVID-19 testing status, non-communicable diseases and HIV status among residents of sub-Saharan Africa during the first wave of the pandemic

Background: This study determined if non-communicable disease status, HIV status, COVID-19 status and co-habiting were associated with COVID-19 test status in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods: Data of 5945 respondents age 18-years-old and above from 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa collected through an online survey conducted between June and December 2020, were extracted. The dependent variable was COVID-19 status (testing positive for COVID-19 and having symptoms of COVID-19 but not getting tested). The independent variables were non-communicable disease status (hypertension, diabetes, cancer, heart conditions, respiratory conditions, depression), HIV positive status, COVID-19 status (knowing a close friend who tested positive for COVID-19 and someone who died from COVID-19) and co-habiting (yes/no). Two binary logistic regression models developed to determine associations between the dependent and independent variables were adjusted for age, sex, employment, sub region and educational status.Results: Having a close friend who tested positive for COVID-19 (AOR:6.747), knowing someone who died from COVID-19 infection (AOR:1.732), and living with other people (AOR:1.512) were significantly associated with higher odds of testing positive for COVID-19 infection, while living with HIV was associated with significantly lower odds of testing positive for COVID-19 infection (AOR:0.284). Also, respondents with respiratory conditions (AOR:2.487), self-reported depression (AOR:1.901), those who had a close friend who tested positive for COVID-19 infection (AOR:2.562) and who knew someone who died from COVID-19 infection (AOR:1.811) had significantly higher odds of having symptoms of COVID-19 infection but not getting tested.Conclusion: Non-communicable diseases seem not to increase the risk for COVID-19 positive test while cohabiting seems to reduce this risk. The likelihood that those who know someone who tested positive to or who died from COVID-19 not getting tested when symptomatic suggests there is poor contact tracing in the region. People with respiratory conditions and depression need support to get tested for COVID-19.</p

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student' sleep patterns, sexual activity, screen use, and food intake: A global survey

Background: The education sector experienced substantial impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic resulting from worldwide restrictions.Purpose: To examine differences in the sleep patterns, sexual activity, screen use, and food intake of students and non-students during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: This was a global cross-sectional study conducted in the second half of 2020 using multiple social media platforms to recruit study participants globally. A close-ended questionnaire was administered anonymously in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic to adults ages 18 and older. The outcome variables considered in analyses were changes in sleep pattern, sexual activity, screen use, and food intake. The explanatory variable was student status categorized as students vs. non-student. T-test, chi-square, and Mann Whitney U tests were used to assess differences between student and non-student populations. One logistic regression model was built for each outcome variable. Country of residence and country income level were included in the adjusted models.Results: There were 17,008 participants of which 3,793 (22.3%) were students. Of the total sample, 4,889 (28.7%) reported changes in sleep, 4,642 (31.8%) reported increases in sexual activity, 10,278 (70.7%) reported increases in screen use, and 5,662 (40.2%) reported increases in food intake during the pandemic. Compared to non-students, students had significantly higher odds of reporting changes in sleep (AOR = 1.52), increases in sexual activity (AOR = 1.79), and increases in screen use (AOR = 1.36) but lower odds of reporting increase in food intake (AOR = 0.87).Conclusion: Students displayed higher risk of experiencing changes in sleep, sexual behavior, and screen use during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has the potential to lead to broader adverse effects on students' overall wellbeing. The findings and implications raise further obligations on the education sector to put extra-curricular support systems in place that address COVID-19 related behavior changes that have the potential to adversely impact students' wellbeing.</div

Factors Associated With Experiences of Fear, Anxiety, Depression, and Changes in Sleep Pattern During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Adults in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Multiple facets of the pandemic can be a source of fear, depression, anxiety and can cause changes in sleep patterns. The aim of this study was to identify health profiles and the COVID-19 pandemic related factors associated with fear, depression, anxiety and changes in sleep pattern in adults in Nigeria.Methods: The data for this analysis was extracted from a cross-sectional online survey that collected information about mental health and well-ness from a convenience sample of adults 18 years and above resident in Nigeria from July to December 2020. Study participants were asked to complete an anonymous, closed-ended online questionnaire that solicited information on sociodemographic profile, health profiles (high, moderate and low COVID-19 infection risk profile) including HIV status, COVID-19 status, and self-reported experiences of fear, anxiety, depression and changes in sleep patterns.Results: In total, 4,439 participants with mean age of 38.3 (±11.6) years responded to the survey. Factors associated with higher odds of having COVID-19 related fear were health risk (p p p p Conclusion: The study findings suggest that the pandemic may cause fear, anxiety, depression and changes in sleep patterns differently for people with different health profile, HIV status and COVID-19 status.</p