Knowledge, perceptions, and behavior regarding children’s oral health among Syrian pediatricians: a cross-sectional study

BMC Oral Health

Research

Ammar Kataish¹  Nada Bshara²  Saleh Al Kurdi²  Mawia Karkoutly²  MHD Bashier Almonakel² 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria;Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Dental College, Damascus University, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic;

关键词: Pediatricians;    Knowledge;    Perceptions;    Practices;    Children;    Oral health;    Questionnaire;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12903-023-03022-x

 received in 2023-02-11, accepted in 2023-05-05,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundOral health has a direct impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Hence, general health and oral health cannot be separated. Pediatricians play a pivotal role in providing primary care for infants and are the first to interact with them since birth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, perceptions, and behavior of Syrian pediatricians regarding children’s oral health.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study. The questionnaire consisted of six main sections and required answers regarding demographic characteristics, knowledge, behavior, perceptions, and training received in oral health. The association between categorical variables was tested with Pearson’s chi-square tests and Fishers exact tests using SPSS ver. 23.ResultsThe response rate was 43.12% (229/531). Most of the participants (64.02%) got a poor level of knowledge and no significant association was found between knowledge level and years of experience (p = 0.270). The majority of the participants (99.13%) perceived that diet, bacteria, and sugar exposure time are the etiological factors of dental caries. The overwhelming majority of the participants (98.25%) acknowledged the need for further oral health training during residency.ConclusionsMost pediatricians reported a poor level of knowledge. It is recommended to update the postgraduate and residency curriculum to equip pediatricians with adequate knowledge regarding children’s oral health.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

【 图 表 】

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