Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Probiotics among Dental and Medical Students of Private University, Mehsana, Gujarat: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Probiotics are defined as “those supplements of food which containmicrobial flora that has the capacity to effect human health in a beneficial way.” Themost commonly used bacterial strains for probiotic preparations belong to the generaLactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Aim: Present study aimed to assess the knowledge,attitude, and practice of using probiotics for health among dental and medicalundergraduate students of Private University, Mehsana, Gujarat.Material andMethods: Cross sectional study conducted among 2nd year dental and medical studentof sankalchand Patel University to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice ofprobiotic to overcome various oral health problems by filling a structured selfadministered, close-ended questionnaire including 15 questions. Informed consent willbe taken from students before conducting the study. Result: 42.2% of respondents weremen and 57.8% of respondents were women among the 230 undergraduate medical anddental students. According to the study, 55.2% of respondents correctly identified theresponse that live microorganisms are an element of probiotics, and 83.0% ofparticipants are aware of the term probiotics. 38.3% of the participants reported neverused probiotics as a medicinal supplement. 87.8% of participants said that it contributesto better dental health. Conclusions: Undergraduate medical and dental students in thecurrent study majority of them knew that probiotics improve immunity and how wellfood is absorbed by the body. Still, they don't offer the additional health advantages ofprobiotics. There was also a bit less understanding and clarification around the phrase"prebiotic."