title: Bad-breath: Perceptions and misconceptions of Nigerian adults.
abstract: To provide baseline data about bad-breath perception and misconceptions among Nigerian adults.
  
  
  
  Multi-center cross-sectional study of individuals aged 18-64 years using examiner-administered questionnaires. Age comparisons were based on the model of emerging adults versus full adults. Data were recoded for statistical analyses and univariate and secondary log-linear statistics applied.
  
  
  
  Participants had lopsided perceptions about bad-breath. While 730 (90.8%) identified the dentist as the expert on halitosis and 719 (89.4%) knew that bad-breath is not contagious, only 4.4% and 2.5% associated bad-breath with tooth decay and gum disease respectively. There were no significant sex differences but the older adults showed better knowledge in a few instances. Most respondents (747, 92.9%) would tell a spouse about their bad-breath and 683 (85%) would tell a friend.
  
  
  
  Participants had lop-sided knowledge and perceptions about bad-breath. Most Nigerian adults are their "brothers' keepers" who would tell a spouse or friend about their halitosis so they could seek treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Nwhator
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Isiekwe
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Soroye
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Agbaje
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006209:Halitosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult