Oral Hygiene Practices and Its Determinants Among Undergraduate’s Students of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi-Nigeria

Abubakar Musa, Abubakar Kaumi Mala, Muhammad Abubakar, Hauwa Abubakar Bege, Ibrahim Abdulmumin Karaye, Ibrahim Salim Abdullahi.

Abstract

Background: Oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal disease remain among the most common chronic conditions worldwide. Good oral hygiene, particularly regular tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste, is central to their prevention. Undergraduate students represent a population undergoing lifestyle transition, making them an important but under-studied group for oral hygiene research in Nigeria, where most existing evidence focuses on the southwest of the country or on other population groups such as school children and pregnant women.
Objective: This study assessed oral hygiene practice and its determinants among undergraduate students of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi State, Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 273 undergraduate students of ATBU. A multistage sampling technique and semi-structured, self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 24.0. The Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to assess association between categorical variables, and logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of practice. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The respondents mean age of 23.6 (SD 3.19) years, and 58.2% were male. Overall, 67.0% of respondents had oral hygiene practice. Practice was significantly associated with faculty (p=0.001) and department (p=0.009). On logistic regression, none of the variable was statistically significance.
Conclusion: Undergraduate students of ATBU generally have good practice towards oral hygiene. There is need to strengthen oral health education for students in various faculties, and improved access to affordable dental services.