The number of samples collected was (1090), and 57 (5.2%) of them were from outside Syria, so they were excluded from the sample, and thus the final sample number was (1033). The average age was (23.40 years) and ranged between 12–62 - with a mean of 5.43. The number of males was 265 (25.7%), while the number of females was 768 (74.3%). (Table 1) The socio-economic level of the sample was assessed through the (SES) indicator, where 576 (55.8%) of the sample were at the low level, (24.5%) a medium level, and finally (19.7%) a high level
Table 1
demographic variables for the study sample
Variables
|
Cases
|
%
|
Variables
|
Cases
|
%
|
gender
|
Male
|
265
|
25.7%
|
Did the quarantine change your healthy habits
|
yes
|
593
|
57.4%
|
Female
|
768
|
74.3%
|
No
|
440
|
42.6%
|
Social status
|
Single
|
950
|
92.0%
|
How you maintain the health of the toothbrush?
|
Put the brush in its own cup
|
290
|
28.2%
|
Married
|
83
|
8.0%
|
Put the brush in a cup with the family
|
417
|
40.5%
|
Socio-economic situation
|
low level
|
576
|
55.8%
|
Cover the brush with its own cover
|
269
|
26.1%
|
Average level
|
253
|
24.5%
|
Put it next to the sink
|
54
|
5.2%
|
High level
|
204
|
19.7%
|
Quarantine had a change in the health habits of more than (57.4%) of the sample, while there was no change in the oral health habits of (42.6%) of the sample. (Table 1) The method of maintaining the cleanliness of the toothbrush was evaluated, and the sample showed mixed results, as the majority (40.5%) put the brush in a cup with the rest of the family, (28.2%) put the brush in their own cup, while (26.1%) covered the brush with a special cover. And (5.2%) put the brush to the side of the sink. (Table 1)
The number of brushing times was evaluated during a period before quarantine and after health, and the results did not show significant differences between the two stages, as the majority of the sample brushed their teeth twice daily (49.4% before quarantine, and 42.1% after quarantine), and there was no fundamental difference. The number of brushing times between the two phases (P = 0.716). Also, the time of brushing the teeth was evaluated during the two time periods, and the results were converged except with regard to brushing before leaving the house, where before the quarantine it was a percentage (15.8%) and was not present during the quarantine period, there was no fundamental difference between the two variables during the two time periods (P = 0.276). (Table 2)
Table 2
Changes in oral health habits before and after the quarantine period
Variables
|
Before quarantine
|
after quarantine
|
Significant difference
|
Cases
|
%
|
Cases
|
%
|
P value
|
Significance of the test
|
How often I brush my teeth
|
I do not brush my teeth
|
31
|
3.0%
|
44
|
4.3%
|
0.716
|
No
|
Once
|
328
|
31.8%
|
355
|
34.4%
|
Twice
|
510
|
49.4%
|
435
|
42.1%
|
three times
|
134
|
13.0%
|
165
|
16.0%
|
More than 3 times
|
30
|
2.9%
|
34
|
3.3%
|
The time to first brush your teeth
|
when you wake up
|
621
|
60.6%
|
608
|
60.4%
|
0.276
|
No
|
Right after eating
|
70
|
6.8%
|
88
|
8.7%
|
Before leaving the house
|
162
|
15.8%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
before sleep
|
112
|
10.9%
|
223
|
22.1%
|
Half an hour after eating
|
60
|
5.9%
|
88
|
8.7%
|
Research variables were studied by comparison between males and females, where females showed a greater change in oral health habits due to quarantine (51.3% for males, 59.5% for females), and this difference was statistically significant, as the value of the level of significance was (P = 0.020). Also, a fundamental difference was found between males and females in terms of the number of brushing times before and after the quarantine, and the time of brushing the teeth before and after the quarantine, as the value of the significance level for each of the two variables was (P = 0.000, P = 0.008), respectively. (Table 3)
Table 3
– Discussing significant difference between males and females in terms of the studied variables
|
gender
|
Significant difference
|
Male
|
Female
|
value P
|
Significance of the test
|
Cases
|
%
|
Cases
|
%
|
Did the quarantine change your healthy habits
|
yes
|
136
|
51.3%
|
457
|
59.5%
|
0.020
|
Yes
|
no
|
129
|
48.7%
|
311
|
40.5%
|
The number of times dispersed before quarantine
|
I do not brush my teeth
|
23
|
8.7%
|
8
|
1.0%
|
0.000
|
Yes
|
once
|
106
|
40.0%
|
222
|
28.9%
|
twice
|
109
|
41.1%
|
401
|
52.2%
|
three times
|
24
|
9.1%
|
110
|
14.3%
|
More than 3 times
|
3
|
1.1%
|
27
|
3.5%
|
The number of times dispersed after quarantine
|
I do not brush my teeth
|
24
|
9.1%
|
20
|
2.6%
|
0.000
|
Yes
|
once
|
110
|
41.5%
|
245
|
31.9%
|
twice
|
93
|
35.1%
|
342
|
44.5%
|
three times
|
32
|
12.1%
|
133
|
17.3%
|
More than 3 times
|
6
|
2.3%
|
28
|
3.6%
|
The time of the first brushing of the teeth before the quarantine
|
when you wake up
|
129
|
50.0%
|
492
|
64.1%
|
0.000
|
Yes
|
Right after eating
|
13
|
5.0%
|
57
|
7.4%
|
Before leaving the house
|
44
|
17.1%
|
118
|
15.4%
|
before sleep
|
48
|
18.6%
|
64
|
8.3%
|
Half an hour after eating
|
24
|
9.3%
|
36
|
4.7%
|
The time of the first brushing of the teeth after the quarantine
|
when you wake up
|
137
|
55.2%
|
471
|
62.1%
|
0.008
|
Yes
|
Right after eating
|
17
|
6.9%
|
71
|
9.4%
|
Before leaving the house
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
before sleep
|
65
|
26.2%
|
158
|
20.8%
|
Half an hour after eating
|
29
|
11.7%
|
59
|
7.8%
|