What is it about?
The study assessed what adolescents know about the effects of tobacco use on the mouth, and we found that their level of knowledge was sub-optimal. Some of the effects that they identified were mouth odor, teeth discoloration, tooth decay, damage to teeth, lip discoloration, and oral cancer. Furthermore, we found that the female respondents, those aged 12 to 15 years, and children of skilled workers were more likely to mention that tobacco has adverse effect(s) on the mouth.
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Why is it important?
Tobacco is a dangerous habit that is usually initiated during adolescence. Evidence has shown that adolescents with adequate knowledge of the oral effects of tobacco are less likely to engage in the habit. By identifying the level of knowledge and the area of deficiencies in adolescents' knowledge of the oral health effects of tobacco, it will contribute to the development of effective tobacco control interventions among them.
Perspectives
I hope this article will spur more research in this area, and tobacco control experts will pay more attention to the oral health effects of tobacco use.
Dr Omotayo Francis Fagbule
University College Hospital, Ibadan
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Knowledge of School-Going Adolescents About the Oral Effects of Tobacco Usage in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria, International Quarterly of Community Health Education, December 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0272684x19896730.
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