Assessment of Oral Hygiene Knowledge and Practice among Secondary School Students in Owerri Municipal Area, Imo State, Nigeria

Aim: The aim of this study were to assess the oral hygiene knowledge and practice among secondary school students in Owerri Municipal Area, Imo State, Nigeria.

Study Design: This study employed a descriptive survey design.

Place and Duration of Study: This study were carried out in Secondary Schools in Owerri Municipality, Imo State, Nigeria within September 2014 and June 2015.

Methodology: Data were collected using structural pretested questionnaire administered to 500 randomly selected consenting respondents (students) with 251 female and 249 male students. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using SPSS version 20. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance and data generated were subjected to percentage findings presented by the use of tables.

Results: The results affirmed that 84% of the respondents had oral hygiene knowledge, 78% were of the opinion that major source of oral hygiene knowledge were parents/guardians, and 20% of the respondents acquiring information through their school teachers. It was noted that 44% of the respondents had good oral hygiene practices in Secondary School in Owerri Municipal Area, Imo State, Nigeria. The result of the statistical analyses shows that there was a significant relationship (342.624; P = .001) between the age of the students and the knowledge of oral hygiene, there was significant relationship (337.910; P = .001) between major source of oral hygiene information and the knowledge of oral hygiene and there was a significant relationship (390.988; P = .001) between major source of oral hygiene information and the practice of oral hygiene. The study therefore provided information on oral hygiene knowledge and practice in secondary school in Owerri Municipal Area, Imo State, Nigeria.

Conclusion: It can be recommended to Students/Parents/Government and School Teachers to embrace the idea that oral diseases can be prevented or mitigated by individual action of daily brushing and other oral hygiene related practices to pervert the negative oral health consequences.