The effect of social media campaign on parental knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the use of children car seats in the Gulf region.

BACKGROUND: Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of child deaths in the Gulf Cooperation Council. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a social media educational campaign on parents' knowledge of child safety seats. METHODS: We conducted a pre-post interventional study as an online educational module in Arabic and English. The module link was shared on social media and was accompanied by a pre-post survey that included questions about demographics, knowledge, and practices of car seat use. RESULTS: A total of 303 participants completed the campaign, with 23.8% fathers and 76.2% mothers answered the survey. The majority of participants were from Saudi Arabia (95.7%), while 4.3% were from other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Most parents agreed on the importance of organizing awareness campaigns and having a law to enforce the use of car seats. The pre-survey mean knowledge score was 11.64, which significantly increased to 13.1 in the post-survey (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention of the educational campaign through social media resulted in a significant increase in parents' knowledge and awareness of the importance of using car seats correctly. This study highlights the potential effectiveness of social media campaigns in improving parents' knowledge and awareness of child safety seats.

Dietary Determinants of Dental Caries Prevalence and Experience in Saudi Schoolchildren: Frequency versus Quantity.

BACKGROUND: Sugar-added diet has been associated with increased risk of developing dental caries. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dietary determinants of caries prevalence and experience based on the frequency versus the quantity of consumption among Saudi schoolchildren. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that invited 12- to 15-year-old intermediate school students (N = 3000) in four cities in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Data collection comprised a pretested questionnaire and clinical examination. Caries was diagnosed based on the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and was recorded as a decayed, missing, filled tooth (DMFT). The questionnaire included questions regarding the consumption of different quantities and frequencies of multiple sugar-containing food items. Multiple logistic and linear regression models were used to assess the influence of sugar-containing food on the dental caries experience (DMFT) and prevalence of decayed teeth. SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data at 5% significance level. RESULTS: Of 3000 invited students, 2262 participated with a participation rate of 75.4%. Our study found that the frequency of soft drink consumption was significantly associated with increased caries prevalence (adjusted OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.07-1.65) and experience (adjusted B = 0.46, 95% CI 0.16-0.76). The frequency of consumption of fruit juice was statistically significantly associated with increased caries experience (adjusted B = 0.48, 95% CI 0.16-0.79). The interaction terms between the frequency and the quantity of consumption of energy drinks, soft drinks, and sweetened milk were statistically significantly related to caries experience and prevalence. CONCLUSION: Although the frequency of consumption of sugar-containing drinks was more associated with caries experience and prevalence, the interaction between frequency and quantity was highly related to the prevalence and experience of dental caries.

Prevalence and Distribution of Nonsyndromic Dental Anomalies in Children in Eastern Saudi Arabia: A Radiographic Study.

OBJECTIVES: To report the prevalence and distribution of nonsyndromic dental anomalies in children in eastern Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This retrospective records review study involved radiographic examination of 6-18 years old pediatric patients who attended the Dental Hospital of the College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Four calibrated examiners recorded nonsyndromic dental anomalies from patients' digital orthopantomograms (OPG). The anomalies recorded were related to tooth number, shape, and location. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and Fisher exact tests were used to report prevalence and differences by gender, nationality, and medical history at the 5% significance level. RESULTS: Of 2226 reviewed patients' records, 1897 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The study sample had equal distribution of males (52.6%) and females (47.4%) and comprised 81.2% Saudi children with a mean age of 8.8 ± 1.84 years. Most study subjects (97.8%) were in mixed dentition and 88.7% were healthy. The prevalence of dental anomalies was as follows: teeth rotations (24.5%), ectopically erupted teeth (6%), congenitally missing permanent teeth (5.4%), peg lateral (1.1%), supernumerary (0.5%), gemination (0.3%), and fusion (0.1%). No statistically significant differences were found in the distribution of dental anomalies by patients' gender, medical history, and nationality (p value ≥0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed that teeth rotations were the most common dental anomalies followed by ectopic eruptions and congenitally missing teeth. The study findings may guide dental practitioners to better diagnose and manage children with dental anomalies in eastern Saudi Arabia.

Infant Oral Healthcare and Anticipatory Guidance Practices among Dentists in a Pediatric Care Shortage Area.

OBJECTIVES: To assess dentists' practices and barriers towards infant oral healthcare (IOH) and anticipatory guidance (AG) in eastern Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A regional, cross-sectional survey was distributed to 340 (323 general dentists (GPs) and 17 pediatric dentists (PDs)) working in a governmental setting in eastern Saudi Arabia. A 23 close-ended, pilot-tested questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire asked about dentists' IOH and AG practices. A five-point Likert scale question assessed barriers interfering with AG practices. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regressions were used. RESULTS: Participation rate was 98.5% (335/340). Only 18% of GPs indicated performing IOH exams, while 100% of PDs do. About 90% of GPs would see children on a first visit when they are ≥3 years old, whereas 60% of PDs reported seeing one-year-old children. Older practitioners and those performing AG were more likely to perform IOH (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.06-3.1, and OR = 3.84, CI = 1.93-7.65, resp.). The majority of respondents (94%) felt their training did not prepare them to practice AG. "Parents bringing their children for the first time for emergency or existing conditions" was cited by 99% of respondents as a barrier to performing AG. CONCLUSION: Increasing the awareness of GPs and parents about the importance of IOH and AG is crucial in improving children's oral health. Collaboration with pediatricians for early referral of children is equally important in increasing the awareness on prevention principles.

Association of Test Anxiety with Temporomandibular Disorder in Health Professions Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and its association with text anxiety among undergraduate medical, dental, and pharmacy students in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods. This cross-sectional study included health professions students who responded to Fonseca's questionnaire and Test Anxiety Inventory by Spielberger to evaluate TMD and test anxiety, respectively. TMD score was compared in different categories of students, and bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses evaluated the influence of test anxiety on TMD. RESULTS: The study included 884 participants (44.8% males and 55.2% females) with a mean age of 21.46 ± 1.36 years. Regarding items of Fonseca's questionnaire, most students reported being tense/nervous (65.7%) and had headaches (57.5%). About 45.8% of the participants reported no TMD, and remaining had mild (40.4%), moderate (11.3%), and severe (2.5%) TMD. The mean TMD score was significantly higher in students with high test anxiety (25.6 ± 18.32) than those with low test anxiety (20.25 ± 16.97) (P < 0.001). Mean test anxiety scores significantly differed among TMD categories (P < 0.001) with the lowest score in the no TMD group and the highest in the moderate TMD group. Female gender (adjusted odds ratio 1.4, P 0.039) and high test anxiety (adjusted odds ratio 1.92, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with increased odds of having TMD. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a high prevalence of TMD among students. There was a significant association between test anxiety and TMD. The data obtained may guide preventive policies and program on test anxiety and TMD.