Oral Health Awareness and Self- care Practice Among Diabetes Mellitus Patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa,Ethiopia
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease characterized by disrupted carbohydrate as well as protein and lipid metabolisms. About half a billion people worldwide are estimated to live with DM. Oral health problems are considered as one of the six major complications of DM although it is often neglected in its care.
Objective: This study assessed oral health awareness and self-care practices among diabetic patients at TikurAnbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH).
Methods: Across sectional institution based survey was conducted and data was collected from March 16 to May 15, 2020 using a paper based interviewer administered structured questionnaire. One hundred eighty six diabetic patients who were visiting TASH for their follow-up care were selected consecutively.
Result: The mean age of participants was 47.16 years. Majority of the participants were females (58.6%). About one third (31.72%) of the study participants had ever received information regarding oral health. On the other hand, half (50%) of the study participants knew the relation between diabetes and oral health. Regarding participants oral health selfcare
practice,30.39% of the participants clean their teeth once a day while 39.78 % practiced oral health self - care twice a day. The remaining 29.83% of the participants clean their teeth less than one per day. Similarly, only 40.13% of the participants had a dental care visit within five year of this study. Only 1.85% of participants were claim receiving a dental care as part of their diabetes follow up.
Conclusion: The level of oral health awareness and self-care practice of diabetic patients attending TASH was found to be unsatisfactory. This shows the lack of comprehensive diabetic education programs that address the common complications of the disease including oral health problems. Moreover, most patients were suffering from varies symptoms of oral
health problems. Therefore, policy maker as well as partitions involved in the delivery of diabetic care should plan for a comprehensive patient education programs. Likewise, oral health screening and referral should be the standard of diabetic care.
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Awareness, oral health, self-care practice.