Empirical Survey of Oral Health Information Exposure to Obafemi Awolowo University Students

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine the nature and degree of oral health-related information the students were exposed to in the last one year. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit 212 volunteers from the students’ residential hostels of Obafemi Awolowo University. Information retrieved includes; “Exposure to oral health information in the last one year”, “Sources of Oral health related information”, “Perceived usefulness of the oral health information received” and “Oral health risk awareness”. 212 participants; 85 females, 127 males were analyzed. The result shows that the mean value of the degree of oral health information received by the participants within a year was 2.4 (48%). Information about tooth brushing had the highest score with inadequate information about tooth decay and gum diseases. Oral health information received showed no gender variation. Television shows had the highest score. Information received from medical doctors, dentists and health talks were perceived to be most useful. Participants overall oral health risks awareness was 74%. It was discovered that oral health information received within a year was slightly low and mostly through the mass media. Contrarily, oral health risks awareness was above average.