Halitosis-related Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) among Mustansiriyah dentistry students: A cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32828/mdj.v22i1.1228Keywords:
Halitosis, knowledge, attitude, practiceAbstract
Aim: To determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of dental students regarding oral halitosis and associated gender differences at Mustansiriyah university-college of dentistry. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used in Baghdad, Mustansiriyah University- college of dentistry and a total of 136 students participated in the study. A standardized questionnaire that was self-administered was used to collect data on socio-demographics, oral halitosis knowledge, attitudes, and practices. After being examined and cleaned, the data was imported into SPSS version 25.0. The data was described using descriptive statistics, and the results were shown in tables and texts. Results: A total of 136 undergraduate dental students were assessed on the perception of halitosis. In terms of knowledge, the overall participants had satisfactory knowledge toward halitosis (62.8%). The participants demonstrated a favorable attitude toward halitosis, with an overall attitude score of 87.3%. The overall level of practice toward halitosis was low (23.3%). The students’ gender demonstrated a statistically significant association with selected items only; specifically in one knowledge question and two practice questions, whereas no significant gender-related differences were detected across any of the attitude items. The overall association between knowledge and practice was weak to moderate. Conclusion: The study concludes that the overall knowledge about halitosis was satisfactory with generally positive attitudes. However, the overall practice was low. This highlights the need for focused educational and behavioral interventions and to enhance the practices of oral hygiene. Students' gender did not have an impact on the KAP domain.
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