Evaluation of the knowledge and care of oral ulceration among nursing students in a Nigerian tertiary institution.

Abstract

Background: Oral ulceration is a common complaint of patients attending outpatient clinics. Research has shown variable knowledge among nurses and nursing students for the care of oral ulcerations in developed countries; however, studies in developing countries are sparse. The objective of the study was to determine the knowledge and care of oral ulcerations among nursing students in a Nigerian tertiary institution.

Methods: A Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the students who consented to participate in the study. The questionnaire consisted of four sections: demographics (age, gender), dental visits, knowledge, and care of oral ulceration. Descriptive statistics were used to present and summarize the data, while frequency and percentages were used to present the categorical data. A chi-squared test was used to identify correlations and differences. The IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0 for Microsoft Windows was used to analyze the data.

Results: A total of 199 nursing students participated in this study, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2 and a mean age of 22.09 ± 5.62. A good majority (88.9%) of the students reported they had experienced oral ulcerations in the past. 44 (22.2 %) of the students with ulcers were caused by trauma. Regarding treatment, 38.9% self-medicated, 25% did nothing, and 12.9% visited a dentist for management of the oral ulcerations. Social media (17/ 47.2 %) was the most common source of information for treating oral ulceration among the participants while health professionals are the least 5(13.9%) sought.

Conclusion: The results showed poor knowledge of oral ulcers and their care, hence the need for training oral healthcare workers on the care of oral ulcerations.

Keywords: Oral Ulceration, Dental Nursing Students, Knowledge, Care