Résumé
Background: The paucity of formal oral health promoting activities in schools in sub-Saharan Africa has not been properly addressed partly because of failure to integrate teachers with their roles. The study aimed to determine the roles of elementary school teachers in promoting oral health in schools in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Methods: A questionnaire-based study was conducted among a representative sample of 338 teachers randomly selected from elementary schools in Ibadan.
Results: The majority, 308 (91.1%), believed that teachers should play important roles in promoting oral health in schools. Tooth cleaning by 272 (80.5%) and inspection of their pupils’ mouths by 206 (60.9%) teachers were the only oral health promotion activities the teachers were engaged in. Many, 258 (76.3%), were satisfied with their roles in promoting oral health in their schools while 29.0% were satisfied with the roles of dentists. Main reason mentioned by teachers for inadequate oral health promotion in schools was “dentists not doing enough” by 200 (59.2%) while the most commonly suggested solution to improve the situation was frequent school visitation by dentists, 261 (77.2%). Most, 297 (87.9%) were willing to be involved if oral health promoting activities are formally instituted.
Conclusion: Many of the teachers believed they play important roles in promoting oral health in schools and are satisfied with their present activities in achieving this, despite very few oral health promotional activities existing in schools. Nonexistence of formal school oral health promotion activities were believed to be caused,majorly, by dentists not doing enough in schools.
Keywords: Dental first aid, health promotion, oral health, pupils, school, teachers
Résumé
Contexte: La rareté des activités formelles de promotion de la santé orale dans les écoles en Afrique subsaharienne n’a pas été convenablementadressée en partie à cause de l’échec à intégrer les enseignants avec leurs rôles. L’étude visait à déterminer les rôles des enseignants des écoles élémentaires dans la promotion de la santé bucco-dentaire dans les écoles à Ibadan, Nigeria.
Méthodes: Une étude par questionnaire a été conduiteparmi un échantillon représentatif de 338 enseignants choisis au hasard dans les écoles primaires à Ibadan.
Résultats: La majorité, 308 (91,1%), pensait que les enseignants doivent jouer un rôle important dans la promotion de la santé bucco-dentaire dans les écoles. Le nettoyage dentairepar 272 (80,5%) et l’inspection de la bouche de leurs élèves par 206 (60,9%) des enseignants étaient les seules activités de promotion de la santé bucco-dentaire dont les enseignants y étaient engagés. Beaucoup, 258 (76,3%), étaient satisfaits de leur rôle dans la promotion de santé bucco-dentaire dans leurs écoles tandis que 29,0% étaient satisfaits avec les rôles des dentistes. La principale raison mentionnée par les enseignants pour l’insuffisance de promotion de la santé bucco-dentaire dans les écoles était “les dentistes ne font pas assez”par 200 (59,2%), tandis que la solution la plus couramment proposée, 261 (77,2%), pour améliorer la situation était lafréquentevisite de l’école par les dentistes. La plupart, 297 (87,9%) étaient prêts à participer si les activités de promotion de la santé buccodentaire sont formellement engagées.
Conclusion: La plupart des enseignants croyaient qu’ils jouent un rôle important dans la promotion de la santé bucco-dentaire dans les écoles et sont satisfaits de leurs activités actuelles dans la réalisation de ceci, en dépit de très peu activités de promotion de la santé bucco-dentaire existantdans les écoles. L’inexistence des activitésformelles de promotion de la santé bucco-dentaire dans les écoles ont été censé être causé, en majeur, par les dentistes ne faisant pas assez dans les écoles.
Mots clés: Premiers soins dentaires, promotion de la santé, santé bucco-dentaire, élèves, école, enseignants
Correspondence: Dr. F.B. Lawal, Department of Periodontology and Community Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail: folakemilawal@yahoo.com
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