Attitudes of Auto-rickshaw Drivers Towards Oral Health Care, Barriers of Dental Service Utilization in Vikarabad, Telangana, India

Abstract

Introduction: Regular home oral care and yearly dental checkup are the best means for saving one's teeth. There are some working classes such as road transport drivers who work tirelessly behind the wheels, commuting to different places without adequate food, rest, and sleep.Objectives: To assess their oral health knowledge, oral hygiene practices, tobacco habit and the barriers in dental service utilization. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on the autorickshaw drivers at the auto-stands in and around Vikarabad. A pilot study was done, and the sample size was estimated as 200. A 16 item pretested, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data, and collected data were subjected to statistical analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0.Results: Among 200 male participants, mean age was found to be 32 years. 79.5% knew that tobacco consumption causes cancer. 56.5% had a tobacco-related habit. Of them, 45.1% were not willing to quit. 55.0% did not visit the dental hospital as they did not experience any dental problem. Conclusion:The present study concluded that though majority of auto-drivers have knowledge that tobacco causes cancer, 45.1% of them were not willing to quit. This necessitates more extensive and effective cessation programmes in them.