Evaluation of Level of Awareness and Perception among Sports Instructors Regarding Usage of Mouthguards in South Chennai Region: A Cross-sectional Study
Citation Information :
Kalyani SR, Kothimbakkam SS, Babu SP. Evaluation of Level of Awareness and Perception among Sports Instructors Regarding Usage of Mouthguards in South Chennai Region: A Cross-sectional Study. J Oral Health Comm Dent 2023; 17 (3):81-84.
Background: About 19–36% of orofacial trauma are sports-related injuries which is a growing concern that requires immediate attention. The present study aimed to evaluate the level of awareness and perception of sports instructors regarding mouthguard usage in the South Chennai region.
Materials and methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted by means of a bilingual questionnaire which was distributed to the sports instructors individually by the investigator (hand in hand) and includes information on demographics, awareness, and perception regarding the usage of mouthguards.
Results: A p-value below 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Nonparametric test of Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test was used to analyze the continuous independent variable and the dependent variables. There were statistically significant differences seen in the awareness level of mouthguards between the kinds of sports they teach. Similarly, those participants who were already aware of mouthguards also showed significant differences in their awareness level of mouthguards.
Conclusion: It could be concluded from the findings of a present survey that the majority of sports instructors in the South Chennai region are aware of mouthguards but do not recommend their usage at all times.
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