Use of Internet as a Source of Oral Health Information in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the use of Internet as a source of oral health among adult population in Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among adults aged above 18 years through Google Forms. Questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics and questions related to use of Internet, reason for use of Internet, whether they use Internet for searching information related to oral health, which is the media they use more preferably to search oral health information, and does they found the information beneficial or not was asked.
Results: Almost 98.2% of the participants uses Internet for one or the other reasons. About 71.3% of the participants use the Internet for searching oral health information. Google is the most common platform for searching oral health information on the Internet. Age and education wise, there was a statistically significant difference in many responses (P < 0.050).
Conclusion: Majority of the study population have access to Internet, also search oral health information on the Internet. There is a need for regulations and guidelines so that oral health information available from the Internet can be used as a media to promote oral health. Copyright:

INTRODUCTION

Since the 1990s, Internet is used as a tool for searching advice on health or health information.[1] Today, Internet and social media have become powerful tools for everyday communication. They provide a range of benefits and opportunities to individuals. They help in maintaining social connections and can access more information on any matter than ever before.[2]

Health information is one of the domains where Internet plays an important role to understand about the disease and its course of action.

Oral health's meaning has evolved from a narrow focus on teeth and gums to recognition of the mouth's critical role in health. As a mirror of the body's overall health, oral health can provide insight and clues about other health conditions.[3]

Many authors in the literature have tried investigating about the type and frequency of health information sought by patients with different medical conditions on Internet.[45678]

According to a Canadian study, medical or health-related information was searched by almost 70% of the Canadians.[9]

The number of social media users in Saudi Arabia was equivalent to 79.3% of the total population in January 2021.[10]

However, there is no clear idea of the population who access Internet to seek oral health-related information on the Internet; hence, the present study was undertaken to know the percentage of population searching oral health-related information on the Internet in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia.

Objectives

The objectives of the study were to assess the reason and benefit of Internet usage on oral health-related information and to correlate age, sex, and the educational status among Internet users.

METHODOLOGY

This study was approved by from the Institutional Review Board of College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University. A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults aged above 18 years through Google Forms. Questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics and questions related to use of Internet, reason for use of Internet, whether they use Internet for searching information related to oral health, and does they found the information beneficial or not was asked. The questionnaire was in Arabic and English language. It was sent through social media, i.e., WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Google Forms. Those participants denying giving consent were excluded. Participants were asked to fill the questionnaire and resend it without discussing it with anyone.

Sample size

Sample size was estimated using the formula:

n = N/1 + Ne2

where

n = sample size

N = total population = 300,000

e = margin of error was kept at 5%

n = 300,000/1 + 300,000 × 0.05 × 0.05

n = 300,000/751

n = 400 samples were found to sufficient.

A total of 600 questionnaires were sent of which 514 were finally considered for analysis.

Validation of questionnaire

To validate the questionnaire, questions were prepared initially in English and then translated to Arabic. Then, it was back translated again to English.

Method

A link containing a questionnaire was sent to individuals through social media, i.e., WhatsApp, Snapchat, and email which also had a consent form and explanation about the study.

Statistical analysis

Descriptive statistics were computed. Categorical data were presented as numbers and percentages. Chi-square test was used to check statistically significant differences according to the demographic characters. Confidence interval was set at 95%. P value considered statistically significant if it is <0.05.

RESULTS

Table 1 shows the demographic characteristics of the study population. The total sample size was 514, of which 294 were male and 220 were female. About 60.3% of the study participants belonged to 26–35 years of age. About 72.8% of the study participants were graduates.

Table 1

Demographic characteristics of the study population (n=514)

	Frequency (%)
Gender
Male	294 (57.2)
Female	220 (42.8)
Age group
18-25	41 (8.0)
26-35	310 (60.3)
36-45	163 (31.7)
Education
Up to diploma	18 (3.5)
Graduate	374 (72.8)
Postgraduate	122 (23.7)

Table 2 shows the response of study participants to various questions related to Internet use and for access of oral health-related information. Almost 98.2% of the study participants uses Internet in the present study. About 84.6% of the participants uses Internet for multiple reasons such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, and email. About 71.3% of participants use Internet for searching oral health-related information. Majority of the study participants (81%) have told that they use to visit a dentist if they have oral health-related problem and 14.5% of the participants told that they will search Internet for information. Almost 82.6% of the study population are of the view that information gained from the Internet will be beneficial to them.

Table 2

Response of study participants to questions related to use of Internet (n=505 except for the first question)

Question	Response	Frequency (%)
Do you access/use Internet?	Yes	505 (98.2)
	No	9 (1.8)
Purpose of using Internet	Email	10 (2.0)
	WhatsApp	51 (10.1)
	Face book	4 (0.8)
	Google	13 (2.6)
	All of these	427 (84.6)
Do you use Internet for health of oral health-related information?	Yes	360 (71.3)
	No	145 (28.7)
In case of you or your family member having a toothache, what will you do?	Visit a dentist	409 (81.0)
	Go to medical shop	23 (4.6)
	Search the remedies in the Internet	73 (14.5)
Do you search treatment options for oral diseases on the Internet	Yes	134 (26.5)
	No	111 (22.0)
	Sometimes	260 (51.5)
Which is the media you use for searching oral health information on the Internet	Laptop	179 (35.4)
	Desktop	117 (23.2)
	Mobile phones	209 (41.4)
Which is the best way to obtain information about oral health on the Internet	Google	293 (58.0)
	YouTube	212 (42.0)
Do you think information gained from Internet sources about oral health is beneficial to you in anyway?	Yes	417 (82.6)
	No	88 (17.4)

Table 3 shows the comparison of participants' responses according to age, gender, and education. There was a significant difference according to age and gender for the reason participants use Internet (P < 0.05). For the question related to the use of Internet for searching oral health information, statistical significance was found according to age and education (P < 0.05). No statistical difference was observed for the question how they make an appointment with the dentist. There was a statistical significant difference for the question whether information searched in the net is beneficial according to age and gender (P < 005).

Table 3

Comparison of responses according to demographic characteristics

Demographics	χ2, P
	Gender	Age	Education
Reason for which you use Internet	26.02, <0.001 (HS)	9.33, 0.315 (HS)	6.17, 0.628 (NS)
Do you use Internet for health of oral health-related information??	0.765, 0.427 (NS)	9.73, 0.008 (significant)	6.07, 0.48 (significant)
In case of you or your family member having a toothache, what will you do?	1.84, 0.39 (NS)	11.15, 0.025 (significant)	1.27, 0.866 (NS)
Do you search treatment options for oral diseases on the Internet	0.62, 0.731 (NS)	11.01, 0.026 (significant)	12.14, 0.016 (significant)
Which is the media you use for searching oral health information on the Internet	3.55, 0.169 (NS)	5.96, 0.202 (NS)	3.202, 0.525 (NS)
Which is the best way to obtain information about oral health on the Internet	0.402, 0.585 (NS)	12.76, 0.002 (significant)	2.244, 0.326 (NS)
Do you think information gained from Internet sources about oral health is beneficial to you in anyway?	12.60, 0.001 (significant)	7.27, 0.026 (significant)	2.010, 0.366 (NS)

NS: Not significant

DISCUSSION

The study showed that Internet was used by 98.2% of participants either for email, Google or WhatsApp, or combination of these. Many studies[67811] have reported a wide range varying from 22% to 63% for the use of Internet, which is far less than our study. This variation could be due to technological advancement and the introduction of various smartphones during the last decade.

According to telephone surveys on more than 12,000 people, an estimate of 55% of two million adults with Internet access has used Internet access for medical- or health-related information.[12] In the current study, 71.3% of respondents have told that they use Internet for searching oral health information. According to Harris and Chestnutt,[13] Internet has got positive impact for information related to dentistry, but people have not realized fully about its potential, in recent years, the Internet users have increased many folds, and also the availability or access has become very easy through the introduction of smart phones.

In the present study, there was a statistically significant difference observed according to age and educational status in most of the responses. This is similar to the studies done by Naganandini et al.[14] and Aydin et al.,[15] who reported that education and age have got a role in the access of Internet for oral health information.

Participants had more preference toward Google than YouTube in the present study, which is in accordance with the study by Mager.[16] This may be for the reason of its active modification in the information accessed by its users.

About 82.6% of the participants have told that information gained from the Internet regarding dental problems is beneficial to them, but there is a need to explore the quality of oral health information currently available on Google and YouTube. Medical research has analyzed the challenges in the use of social media and its interaction with ethical principles. Some issues listed are the content posted, use of social networking sites, and the consequences and overall effect of unprofessional postings on the public's trust in the profession, so there is a need for its regulation and guidelines that need to be framed.

CONCLUSION

Internet could be a major source of oral health information. It can be used to educate individuals about oral health and its promotion. In the present study, 98.2% of participants have access to Internet and 71.3% of participants use Internet for oral health information. Significant differences do exist about the use of Internet for oral health-related information according to age and educational status. Further studies may be required to evaluate the content and level of understanding about the information obtained about oral health from the Internet. Furthermore, guidelines can be made so that Internet can be used as a platform to promote oral health.

Financial support and sponsorship

This study was self-sponsored.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.