Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Iranian General Practitioners, Pediatricians, and General Dentists Regarding Pediatric Oral Health
Subject Areas : Journal of Chemical Health RisksRazie Meshki 1 , Mehrnoosh Khoshnevisan 2 * , Kosar Hamzenia 3 , Mohammad Salehiveisi 4
1 - Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
2 - Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
3 - Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
4 - Department of Statistics, Faculty of Energy and Data Science, Behbehan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran
Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Professional practice, General practitioners, Pediatricians, Dentists ,
Abstract :
Oral health constitutes a crucial component of the holistic well-being of pediatric populations. Dental caries represents a prevalent and enduring pathological process that entails considerable immediate and prolonged repercussions. This cross-sectional study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 175 general practitioners, 20 pediatricians, and 102 general dentists in Ahwaz, Iran, regarding pediatric oral health. Data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire covering demographics, knowledge, attitude, and practice. Kruskal-Wallis tests and Pearson's correlation coefficients (α=0.05) revealed no significant differences in knowledge (mean scores of 7.69, 7.71, and 7.54 out of 10, respectively), attitudes (16.7, 16.86, and 17 out of 20), or practices (22.12, 20.57, and 22.50 out of 30) among the three groups (P>0.05). Furthermore, knowledge and practice were not significantly associated (P>0.05). The findings suggest generally high levels of pediatric oral health knowledge, positive attitudes, and sound practices among these practitioners in Ahwaz.
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