Relative Influence Of Sociodemographic Variables On Oral Health And Habits Of Some Nigerian School Children

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study to investigate the relative influence of some sociodemographic variables on oral hygiene and health of primary school children in Ibadan, Nigeria. The pupils were from two different socioeconomic strata of the society and their ages ranged between 7 and 16 years. They were interviewed in order to obtain information on their knowledge and practices about oral hygiene, after which intro-oral examinations were conducted on the same children. Results of the study showed that the state of oral hygiene and gingival health were influenced by age and sex of the pupils and by the educational status of their mothers. It was also revealed that oral hygiene habits such as tooth cleaning materials, frequency and method of cleaning affected oral health. Of all the variables studied however, mother's educational status appeared to be the single most significant variable influencing oral hygiene and gingival health. It was thus concluded that apart from Health education, formal education of the entire Nigerian population may be an indirect way of achieving improved oral health.

Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 9, No. 1 (1999) pp. 34-41