Dental health promotion among Nigerian school children: Why a priority

Alufa, Oluwaferanmi Opemipo; Lucero‐Prisno, Don Eliseo

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104691

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…It is advocated that oral health education programs are instituted among the people living in Africa and the Middle East, including those in rural and underserved communities, to instil good hygiene practices among them [13]. There is an urgent need for educational interventions among Nigerian children with several reports stating that many of them have poor oral hygiene knowledge and behaviour [18][19][20][21][22]. These interventions are particularly useful when they are carried out among children who are just forming behaviours that affect their health [23,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using traditional rhyme (folk song) as a tool for oral hygiene promotion (UTRATOHP) among children in rural communities in Nigeria: A protocol for a randomised controlled trial

et al. 2023

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Background Most oral diseases are caused by poor oral hygiene, and with adequate oral hygiene measures, they are easily preventable. The use of folk songs to deliver oral health education may likely hold a huge potential for success and an increased likelihood of acceptability and sustainability among school children. Therefore, an investigation into the effectiveness of methods that would be culturally appropriate and sustainable, such as folk songs, is essential. Aim To determine the effect of traditional rhyme (folk song) as a tool for oral hygiene education among children in rural communities in Nigeria. Materials and methods This is a school-based, assessor-blinded, two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial that will assess the effectiveness of oral hygiene messages delivered through traditional rhyme (folk song) on children’s oral hygiene knowledge, attitude, practices, and oral hygiene status in two rural communities (Igboora and Idere) in Nigeria. The study will involve a minimum of 424 participants (aged 7–9 years) selected from eight primary schools using the cluster sampling technique. Four schools will be randomised into the test group to receive oral hygiene messages through folk songs, and the participants will sing the song for two weeks. The other four schools will be assigned to the control group, and the participants will receive the usual oral health talk on oral hygiene practices by a dentist. The participants’ oral hygiene knowledge, attitude, practice and status will be assessed at baseline, immediate, six, and twelve-month post-intervention. A modified World Health Organization (WHO) Children’s oral health survey questionnaire will be utilised for data collection. Oral examinations will be conducted to assess the participants’ dental caries experience and oral hygiene status using the dmft/DMFT and simplified oral hygiene indices, respectively. Discussion Folk songs are popular means of conveying messages in Nigeria, and using them to deliver oral health messages may be an effective, acceptable, and sustainable method among children. This study will provide empirical information about this innovative intervention to guide policy development, dental public health practice, and future studies. Trial registration Pan African Clinical Trial Registry-PACTR202010863892797 (October 2020).

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