“GLOBAL ORAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE AMONG PILGRIMS VISITING MADINAH”–A CROSS–SECTIONAL STUDY

Dr. Abdulmujeeb Abdulkhayum* and Dr. Omar Bahakam

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Global Oral health is an integral component in the general health of an individual and has become a major public health issue with a substantial social impact. In order to plan successful public health awareness it is essential to evaluate three domains related to oral health at the population level, namely knowledge, attitudes and practice Objective: To assess the level and aspects of knowledge, attitudes, and practice related to oral health among Pilgrims Visiting Madinah. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 628 pilgrims. Participant’s convenience selected in Madinah city center and prince Mohammed Bin Abdul-Aziz airport. The pilgrims will be divided into five groups; Saudi Arabia, other Arab countries, Asians, Africans, Europeans. Each group consist of 100 participants (65 males and 35 females). Pre-tested structured closed-ended questionnaire comprising of 28 multiple choice questions were self-administered to investigate by means their knowledge, attitude, and practices toward oral hygiene Results: A total of 628 pilgrims were included in the study; 407 (64.8%) males and 221 (35.2%) females ,among the study group 30.7% reported brushing their teeth twice daily using a toothbrush and toothpaste .Those pilgrims from Europe had the highest prevalence of twice daily tooth brushing whilst Saudi males had the lowest frequency of tooth brushing. Almost 70.2% reported to use both tooth brush to clean their teeth while 21.3% reported to use Miswak (tooth stick) .Almost 90.2% reported to use both tooth paste while 91.6% reported to use mouth wash as means to clean teeth. Regarding the knowledge about the benefits of fluoride in preventing dental caries, 80% Europeans knew the correct answer while African pilgrims had the least amount of knowledge regarding fluoride. The majority of respondents (55%) reported to visit the dentist only when experiencing pain. The most common reasons for not visiting the dentist were fear (22%) and high cost (14%) The prevalence of tobacco use was 17% and most of the smokers were males and females from Africa (31%). Europe pilgrims had the least amount of using Tobacco. The relationship between knowledge and practice showed that when knowledge increases practice also increases. Conclusion: The overall knowledge regarding oral health was acceptable. In general, respondents from developed countries showed a greater level of oral health knowledge compared to the others. Pilgrims from Europe showed the greatest knowledge regarding oral health behavior and practices. Oral health promotion programs may be needed to improve oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices among developing countries.

Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge, Oral hygiene.