Oral health knowledge, attitude and practice among school children in Kerela, India

In order to organize community-oriented health promotion programs, a systematic analysis of oral health, including information on oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP), would be necessary. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in the field of oral health among children aged 7-12 in various Govtas. and private schools of Calicut, Kerela. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged 7-12 in different governments. and private schools of Calicut, Kerela. A convenient sample of 600 students was selected for the study. A 14-element, pre-developed, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the respondents. The confidentiality of the questionnaire reply was provided to the participants. The questionnaire contained questions about the basic knowledge of oral health, as well as those related to the attitude and practice in oral health. Properly completed surveys were collected on the same day from respondents to avoid parents' influence on student responses. Results: About 31% of respondents received information on oral health from their parents; 20.75% from dentists; about 18% from friends; 16.6% get information from teachers, while the rest gets information from relatives, TV and radio. The majority (77.35%) of children are afraid of visiting the dentist, thinking that dental treatment causes pain. The majority (79.05%) of students brushed their teeth; 18.1% of children washed their teeth twice; 1.88% brushed teeth sometimes; and 0.94% did not brush teeth at all. Conclusions: It was found that knowledge about oral health among children was poor and needs improvement