Oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior of medical, pharmacy and nursing students at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess and compare the oral health knowledge, attitude, and behavior of medical, pharmacy, and nursing students at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A total of 189 students including 94 males and 95 females involved in the cross-sectional surveyed. Data were collected using pretested, self-administered, structured questionnaire. The mean percentage scores, standard deviation, and frequency distribution were calculated. The Student′s t-test and ANOVA test were used to test the association between variables. The linear regression analysis was used to establish any association of behavior with knowledge and attitude. Results: The total mean percentage scores for knowledge, attitude, and behavior were more than 50% among the students. The mean percentage scores for knowledge, attitude, and behavior were significantly higher for the medical students compared to pharmacy and nursing students. All the scores were significantly higher in females than in males except for the mean score of knowledge. There was no significant association between knowledge, attitude, and behavior with age. Linear regression analysis showed a significant linear relationship between behavior and attitude, but there was no significant linear relation between behavior and knowledge. Conclusion: The present study indicates that although the mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and behavior were more than 50% among the participants, the students′ oral health knowledge, attitude, and behavior was inadequate and needs to be improved upon. The study also revealed that attitude is a determinant of oral health behavior among the students