Disaster Management: Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, Willingness, and Preparedness among Nigerian Dentists.

OBJECTIVE: This study's objective was to explore the disaster management knowledge, attitude, behavior, willingness, and assistance among Nigerian dentists. METHODS: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted in Edo State (Nigeria) among selected Nigerian dentists that attended the Annual Scientific Conference of School of Dentistry, University of Benin (Benin City, Nigeria) between 2016 and 2017. The 54-item, modified Chhabra, et al disaster management questionnaire, which elicited information on demographic characteristics, disaster management knowledge, attitude, preparedness, and willingness, was the data collection tool. RESULTS: A total of 126 dentists participated in the study, giving a 68.1% retrieval rate. The willingness to render assistance in the case of disaster among the participants was 95.2%. More than three-quarters (81.0%) reported that they had not received any disaster management training and 92.9% reported that they were not familiar with any government paper on response to disaster. The mean disaster management knowledge and attitude scores were 16.95 (SD = 0.40) and 34.62 (SD = 0.56), respectively. Disaster management knowledge had positive significant correlation with attitude and behavior. The disaster management attitude had positive significant correlation with behavior and negative significant correlation with preparedness. Disaster management behavior had positive significant correlation with preparedness and willingness to render assistance. Willingness to render assistance had significant correlation with preparedness. CONCLUSION: Data from this study revealed high-level of willingness to render assistance in disaster, high disaster management attitude, but with low disaster management knowledge, behavior, and preparedness. The significant correlation between knowledge, attitude, behavior, and preparedness implies that training will offer immense benefit.Odai ED, Azodo CC, Chhabra KG. Disaster management: knowledge, attitude, behavior, willingness, and preparedness among Nigerian dentists. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(2):132-136.

Assessment of pain among a group of Nigerian dental patients.

BACKGROUND: Pain is considered a key symptom associated with possible impairment of oral-health-related quality of life and its assessment is important for the planning and evaluation of preventive and treatment effort. The tools for assessing pain must therefore be valid and consistent. The objective of this study was to assess dental patients' level of pain based on the clinical diagnosis of their dental condition and the correlation between two pain assessment scales, Visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Full Cup Test (FCT), for the assessment of pain among dental patients. METHODS: A total of 185 patients presenting at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital dental outpatient clinics with various forms of orofacial pain were included in this study. The mean VAS scores and mean FCT scores for the different dental conditions were compared. Agreement between VAS and FCT was evaluated using the Intra-class correlation (ICC) coefficients and Cronbach alpha coefficient was also calculated to assess consistency of the two pain scales. RESULTS: Majority i.e. 95.1, 96.2 and 100% who presented with acute pulpitis, acute apical periodontitis and pericoronitis respectively, presented with moderate to severe pain levels (p < 0.05). Only 25.9 and 4% who presented with chronic marginal gingivitis and chronic pulpitis respectively presented with no pain (p < 0.05). A large proportion (75%) of patients with no pain had single diagnosis while more than half (52.1%) of those who presented with severe pain had multiple diagnoses (p = 0.025). The mean VAS and FCT scores for acute pain were 6.1 ± 2.1 and 5.9 ± 2.4 respectively and for chronic pain 3.9 ± 2.7 and 3.7 ± 2.7 respectively (P = 0.001). The interclass correlation coefficient revealed that the mean VAS and FCT scores were statistically correlated and reliable with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.85. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that patients who presented with either acute or chronic dental conditions may experience moderate to severe level of pain, with patients with multiple diagnoses experiencing more severe pain, and there is a correlation between the VAS and FCT for pain assessment among dental patients.

A survey of dental students on global oral health issues in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES: This study seeks to investigate to what extent are students conversant with global oral health initiatives and policies, students' willingness to volunteer service at international setting or developing countries and the need for global oral health course in Nigeria. METHODS: Final year dental students in two Nigerian Universities were surveyed for this study. The students voluntarily completed the global oral health information questionnaire in a classroom before a scheduled lecture. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistic 20. RESULTS: All the final year students participated in the survey. All the students agreed that they need to be taught course on global oral health and would consider volunteering their dental skills and expertise in an international setting or developing country. Only 4.5% of the students knew the meaning of the basic package of oral care (BPOC) and none of the surveyed students could correctly name the three components of BPOC. Whereas only 18.2% could identify World Dental Federation and World Health Organization as the bodies that developed global oral health goals for the year 2000, none of the students could correctly list the three components of global oral health goals for the year 2000. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that a gap exists in the knowledge of students on global oral health matters and recommends that the curricula of schools be constantly reviewed in line with current trends in policies and practices.

Driver-related risk factors in commercial motorcycle (okada) crashes in Benin City, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: There has been global concern regarding road traffic injuries. Motorcyclists constitute a high proportion of fatalities in road traffic crashes. Commercial motorcyclists (Okadas) constitute a unique group in this regard. The purpose of this study was to evaluate driver-related risk factors in Okada accidents in Benin City, Nigeria. METHODS: This was a prospective study. Interviewers administered questionnaires which were used to assess Okada drivers during a two-month period (November-December 2006). RESULTS: A total of 996 Okada drivers were interviewed, 995 males and one female. Their ages ranged from 16-80 years with a mean age of 36.4 +/-2.4 years. In the majority of cases, the maximum educational level achieved was primary or secondary. The majority of Okada drivers (82.8%) took to the Okada business as a last resort. Driver's licenses for Okada operation were possessed by 73.5% of drivers, but only 27.2% had taken a road test before being given a license. No form of training on the use of Okadas was received by 45% of drivers before they commenced operations. Crash helmets were owned by 56.4%, but they did not use them on a regular basis. Inconvenience was the reason provided for poor compliance by 52.7% of drivers. Regular intake of alcohol was present in 39.8% of drivers. CONCLUSIONS: Okada drivers are mainly young males with a low level of education who are ill-prepared and ill-equipped for the road. This is a recipe for traffic crash-related injuries and fatal motorcycle crashes. There is an urgent need for job creation, better licensing procedures, road safety education, national legislation, and enforcement of crash helmet laws as well as alcohol breath tests for Okada drivers in Nigeria.