Self-perceived Oral Malodour among Secondary School Youths in Kinondoni Municipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of self-perceived oral malodour (oral malodour or halitosis) among secondary school youths aged 14-19 years in Kinondoni municipality, Dar eS salaam. A total of 198 secondary school youths were involved in the study, of whom 43% were males. Information on the respondents’ perception on Oral malodour was collected using a pre-structured questionnaire. The Chi-square and Fisher’s Exact tests were used to compare different subgroups. Oral malodour was self reported in 74% of the respondents while 73% of the respondents had an opinion that oral malodour is a problem in the society around them. Half of the respondents reported that oral malodour affects both males and females equally. Most of the respondents suggested that, there is a need to give more information on oral malodour to the public. In conclusion, most youths perceived that oral malodour is an existing problem in their settings and most of them recommend more information on the condition to the public. More studies on the scope, clinical assessment, perception and prevalence of oral malodour in different urban and rural Tanzanian communities are recommended.