Abstract

This study investigated the knowledge of dental hygiene among public primary school pupils in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive survey design, the research addressed three key questions and tested two null hypotheses. The target population consisted of 101,500 pupils enrolled in public primary schools across the state. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a representative sample of 400 respondents.
Data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire, which demonstrated a reliability coefficient of 0.75, as determined by the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. The Chi-square statistical method was applied to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance.
Findings revealed that pupils possessed significant knowledge of dental hygiene (χ² = 364.810, df = 1, P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in dental hygiene knowledge between urban and rural pupils (χ² = 1.375, df = 1, P > 0.05), nor across different age groups (χ² = 1.042, df = 1, P > 0.05).
The study concluded that primary school pupils in Adamawa State have adequate knowledge of dental hygiene. It recommended that teachers incorporate dental health education into the school curriculum to further enhance pupils’ awareness and practices.

Keywords

Dental Hygiene, Primary School Pupils, Adamawa State, Health Education, Chi-square Analysis, Knowledge Assessment