Oral health seeking behaviors of adults in Nebbi District, Uganda: a community‑based survey

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorOcwia, Juliet
dc.contributor.authorOlum, Ronald
dc.contributor.authorAtim, Pamela
dc.contributor.authorLaker, Florence
dc.contributor.authorOkot, Jerom
dc.contributor.authorGoitom Sereke, Senai
dc.contributor.authorBaruch Baluku, Joseph
dc.contributor.authorKiguli, Sarah
dc.contributor.authorBongomin, Felix
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-22T13:06:17Z
dc.date.available2023-01-22T13:06:17Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractDental health is often neglected by the majority of the population and has contributed to the global burden of oral diseases. We assessed awareness, utilization and barriers to seeking oral health care among adults in Nebbi District, Uganda. Methods: A community-based, cross sectional study was conducted in the central division, Nebbi District in Uganda among adults between the age of 18 years or older. An interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection on socio-demographic characteristics, oral health awareness, oral health utilization, associated factors and barriers. Results: A total of 400 adults with a median age of 32 years (interquartile range 24–43) years were enrolled. More than half (57.5%, n = 230) of the participants were female. Participants identified smoking (42.8%, n = 171) and consumption of sugary foodstuffs (29.0%, n = 116) as risk factors for oral disease. Not brushing was also identified by 260 participants (65.0%) as the cause of tooth decay and 95.8% (n = 383) believed brushing one’s teeth could prevent tooth decay. Of the 51.5% (n = 206) who had experienced a toothache or discomfort 12 months prior to the study but only about half (52%, n = 106) had sought healthcare from a dental clinic or facility. About 89.5% (n = 94) of the participants were able to see a dentist during their last visits. Dental carries (76.6%, n = 70) and gum bleeding (14.9%, n = 14) were the most frequent reasons for visiting a dental clinic, and 73.7% (n = 70) had their tooth extracted. Barriers to seeking oral healthcare were cost of treatment (47.5%, n = 190), and long waiting time (18.5%, n = 74). The odds of seeking oral healthcare was 2.8-fold higher in participants who were being married (Odds ratio (OR): 2.8, 95% CI 1.3–6.3, p = 0.011) and 3.5-fold higher among housewives (COR: 3.5, 95% CI 1.1–11.4, p = 0.040). Conclusion: About half of the participants had sought healthcare following a dental condition. Cost of treatment seems to be an important factor affecting utilization of oral health services. Optimization of costs, and creating awareness regarding benefits of utilizing preventive dental services are recommended.en_US
dc.identifier.citationOcwia, J., Olum, R., Atim, P., Laker, F., Okot, J., Sereke, S. G., ... & Bongomin, F. (2021). Oral health seeking behaviors of adults in Nebbi District, Uganda: a community-based survey. BMC oral health, 21(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-021-01824-5en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-021-01824-5
dc.identifier.urihttps://nru.uncst.go.ug/handle/123456789/7104
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherBMC oral healthen_US
dc.subjectOral healthen_US
dc.subjectDental cariesen_US
dc.subjectUtilizationen_US
dc.subjectAssociated factorsen_US
dc.subjectKnowledgeen_US
dc.titleOral health seeking behaviors of adults in Nebbi District, Uganda: a community‑based surveyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
COVID-19, HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis,.pdf
Size:
868.98 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Article
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Medical and Health Sciences