Knowledge of and attitudes towards periodontal health among adults in Tehran/[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]/Connaissances et attitudes vis-a-vis de la sante parodontale chez des adultes a Teheran

• Published in: Eastern Mediterranean health journal Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 196 - 202
• Main Authors: Gholami, M, Pakdaman, A, Jafari, A, Virtanen, J.I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria World Health Organization 01-03-2014
• Subjects: Attitudes; Dental health; Dental research; Developing countries; Disease; Health attitudes; Health education; Health literacy; Interviews; LDCs; Periodontal disease; Population; Prevention; Questionnaires; Sample size; Studies; Validity; Womens health; Iran
• ISSN: 1020-3397; 1020-3397; 1687-1634

Determining what people know and believe about periodontal health and disease is important in order to establish prevention practices. This study aimed to assess knowledge of and attitudes towards periodontal health among adults in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. We conducted a cross-sectional face-to-face interview survey in 2011 of 791 adults aged 18-50 years using a stratified, multistage sampling method. We recorded demographic characteristics including age, sex, education, marital status, employment and economic status (housing density). The lowest percentage of correct answers was related to the definition of dental plaque (11.6%) and the highest was for the role of the dental visit in prevention (92.8%). Female sex, university education and higher economic status were significantly associated with a higher mean score on periodontal health knowledge. The regression analysis showed that positive attitudes were associated with higher periodontal health knowledge and having university education. In this study positive attitudes towards prevention were related to better knowledge. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] La determination des connaissances et des croyances en matiere de sante parodontale et de parodontopathies est essentielle pour etablir des pratiques preventives. La presente etude visait a evaluer les connaissances et les attitudes vis-a-vis de la sante parodontale des adultes a Teheran (Republique islamique d'Iran). Nous avons mene une enquete transversale reposant sur des entretiens individuels en 2011 aupres de 791 adultes ages de 18 a 50 ans selon une methode d'echantillonnage stratifie a plusieurs degres. Nous avons enregistre les caracteristiques demographiques telles que l'age, le sexe, le niveau d'etudes, la situation matrimoniale, l'emploi et le statut economique (la densite du logement). Le pourcentage le plus faible de bonnes reponses etait lie a la definition de la plaque dentaire (11,6 %) alors que le pourcentage le plus eleve etait lie au role de la visite preventive chez le dentiste (92,8 %). Le fait d'etre de sexe feminin, d'avoir un niveau d'etudes superieures et un statut economique plus eleve etait significativement associe a un score moyen superieur pour les connaissances en sante parodontale. L'analyse de regression a revele que les attitudes positives etaient associees a des connaissances en sante parodontale plus eleves et au fait d'avoir suivi des etudes universitaires. Dans la presente etude, les attitudes positives vis-a-vis de la prevention etaient liees a de meilleures connaissances.