"A Study to Determine the Effect of Teaching Using Audio Drama on Knowledge Regarding Oral Hygiene Among Visually Impaired Children of Selected Blind School in Pune."

Abstract: Oral health is an essential component of overall health, yet visually impaired children are at increased risk of poor oral hygiene because conventional health education primarily relies on visual aids. This study assessed baseline oral hygiene knowledge, evaluated the effectiveness of audio drama-based education, and examined its association with selected demographic variables among visually impaired children. A quantitative pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted among 150 children aged 6–14 years from Poona School and Home for Blind, Pune, selected through purposive sampling. Baseline knowledge was assessed using a structured interview schedule, followed by a 15-minute audio drama, with posttest evaluation after seven days. Before the intervention, 44.0% of participants had poor knowledge, 53.3% had average knowledge, and only 2.7% had good knowledge. Post-intervention, all participants achieved good knowledge scores, with the mean score increasing significantly from 10.3 ± 4.6 to 26.8 ± 0.4 (t=44.0, p<0.001). Audio drama was highly effective in improving oral hygiene knowledge and represents an accessible educational strategy for promoting oral health among visually impaired children.