Oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices of adolescents living with HIV in Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background Dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis are prevalent in Adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV). These conditions are highly preventable through the adoption of healthy oral health practices. However, the oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices of ALHIV are underexplored. This study therefore aims to assess the Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (OHKAP) of ALHIV in Ibadan, Nigeria and their associated sociodemographic factors. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted among ALHIVs aged 10–15 years who were receiving care at two selected paediatric infectious disease clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data on participants’ socio-demographic characteristics and OHKAP were collected using a pretested and validated self-administered questionnaire. Mean (± SD) Oral Health Knowledge (OHK), Oral Health Attitude (OHA), and Oral Health Practices (OHP) scores were calculated, and proportions of those with adequate/inadequate knowledge, positive /negative attitude, and good/ poor oral health practices were reported. Binary logistic regression was done to determine the factors associated with OHK, OHA, and OHP. Result Data from 195 participants with a mean age of 12.9 ± 1.6years was included in this analysis. There were more males (105, 53.8%) than females. All the adolescents except one (0.5%) were students, and more than half (116, 59.5%) had received prior oral health education, with school being the most cited source of information. The median OHK score (Q 1 , Q 3 ) was 22.2(11.1, 33.3) while mean (± SD) OHA and OHP scores were 71.7 (± 0.7) and 44.7(± 9.5) respectively. While those who were younger and those whose parents had no tertiary education had lower odds of having adequate OHK and good OHP, age was the only factor significantly associated with OHA after adjustment for other variables (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.08–4.41, p = 0.03). Conclusion This study found that although more than half of ALHIV in Ibadan, Nigeria, had participated in school-based oral health education, the majority of them had inadequate oral health knowledge and engaged in poor oral health practices. However, most of them had a good attitude towards oral health. Age was the only sociodemographic factor significantly associated with attitude to oral health, with younger children having better oral health attitude.