scholarly journals Assessing behavioural prevention strategies to reduce dental caries in the primary schools of the state of qatar-case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  

Introduction: Multiple case studies were conducted using a public school and a private school to understand why the prevalence of dental caries was high among primary school children despite previous oral health strategies. The study is aimed to inform the refinement of current dental caries prevention behavioural strategies in Qatar for school children in both public and private settings. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to select 5 pupils, 5 parents, 5 teachers and 2 school nursese for the case study. A semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted with the participants to understand issues relating to prevalence and control of dental caries among school pupils. Results: The study found that home context plays a crucial role in terms of oral health motivation in Qatar. It was found that children are taught the most basic daily oral hygiene-related behaviours at home, including tooth brushing and dental flossing. Discussion: The study revealed the role of parents at home in supporting oral health activities to motivate and empower children to take part in such behaviours. Also, parents and teachers work in collaboration to enhance oral health behaviours in children.

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Najat AlYafei

Background: The existence of a single school oral health program specifically targeting only 6 and 9 years old, for over 25 years was inadequate to address the oral health problems among the steadily increasing proportion of school children in Qatar. Paucity of remodeling the program to match the growing needs of children in Qatar had resulted in an increased prevalence of dental caries among schoolchildren.Aims: This paper's primary goal is to present the history of the school oral health program in the State of Qatar. Another overarching goal of this article is to present the development and implementation of a new Asnani (My Teeth) school-based program, which was designed to reach Kindergarten and public primary schools, to reduce the high prevalence of dental caries among school children, and a proposal for National School Oral Health Program plan, that will bring together public and private schools under one umbrella.Recommendation: With the increasing number of KGs and primary school children experiencing dental caries, a new, integrated, and comprehensive school oral health program should be adopted. The program should assist in reducing dental caries rates among school children in Qatar. Since the treatment of oral diseases is costly, Qatar should focus on oral health promotion and preventive measures that will reduce the need for curative procedures and minimize the financial expenses on dental treatment. In addition, it is necessary to have a department for the National School Oral Health Program to continually monitor public and private schools under one umbrella to reach the ultimate goal of reducing dental caries among school children.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Y. AL Khafaji ◽  
Nadia A Al Rawi

Background: Oral health and nutrition are in interdependent relationship that good nutritional health enhancing good oral health. Nutrition can affect the development and integrity of oral cavity and the progression of oral disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of the gingival health condition in relation to the nutritional status, among 10 years old primary school children in urban and rural area in Al-Hillah city. Material and method: Eight hundred ninety one (891) students, aged10 years old, selected randomly from different primary schools, in urban and rural area in Al-Hillah city, were included in this study. Oral examination including of plaque index assessment, which was done according to the criteria by Silness and Loe, in 1964, gingival health conditions was determined according to Loe and Silness, 1963. Nutritional status was assessed using body mass index (BMI), following the criteria of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth chart (CDC). Statistical analysis was done using Kruskal Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test and ANOVA, p-value of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: This study showed that the majority of the sample was found to be with normal gingival health condition. No significant difference was observed between the gingival index in relation to gender, or residence also, no significant result was found, between plaque and gingival index in relation to the nutritional status. Conclusion: The majority of the sample with normal gingiva however the nutritional status had no significant effect on gingival health condition while the urbanization had an effect on oral hygiene


Author(s):  
Zahid Irfan Marwat ◽  
Shah Nawaz ◽  
Anwar Khan Wazir ◽  
Ejaz Afzal ◽  
Chaman Gul ◽  
...  

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> To assess the nutritional assessment of the primary school children in Abbottabad.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted among children of private and public sectors primary schools of Abbottabad from January - September 2018 by simple random sampling. 200 students from each school (7 and 13 years), present on the day of data collection were included in this study and those who were absent, sick or not willing, were excluded. The data was collected on a pre-tested questionnaire.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Total 200 students, males 49.5% (n=99) and females 50.5% (n=101) were interviewed and assessed for their nutritional assessment. Their mean age was 11.67±1.66years, height was 144.93±12.34 cms and weight was 37.69±12.96 kgs. Male students (n=67) 67.7% and from private schools (n=67) 65.7% were healthier then female (n=55) 55.4% and government schools (57.1%), P valve 0.085 and 0.026. Most of the students with grade C in last year school performance were underweight (100%). Raven Test for both types of school gave 0.012 P value which indicated more intelligent students resides in private schools. Furthermore, children of well-serviced fathers and qualified mothers were healthy, more intelligent and practiced good hygiene. Also, children of a private school who has better nutritional status scored more than Public school children.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Nutritional status of children have a direct effect on their cognitive abilities. Private school children who have scored better in the intelligence test, have better nutritional status. Socioeconomic status and mother qualification have a direct effect on children’s nutrition, health status, school performance and hygiene.</p><p class="abstract"> </p>


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masuma Pervin Mishu ◽  
Martin Hobdell ◽  
Mahfujul Haq Khan ◽  
Richard M. Hubbard ◽  
Wael Sabbah

Background. Children in low-income developing countries are likely to suffer from undergrowth. Dental caries is another common problem in these countries.Aim. To examine the association between untreated dental caries in primary and permanent teeth with age-adjusted height and weight among 6–12-year-old children in Bangladesh.Design. Social, behavioural, and clinical data were collected from 1699 children in nine different randomly selected primary schools in socially deprived areas of Bangladesh. The associations of age-adjusted weight and height and being underweight with dental caries were examined adjusting for sex, area of residence, socioeconomic position, skipping meals, tooth cleaning, and doctor visits.Results. 26% of the children were underweight and 55% had untreated dental caries. Children with at least one decayed tooth were significantly underweight with odds ratios 1.6 (95% CI 1.1, 2.3) and 1.5 (95% CI 1.1, 2.0) for 6–8-years and 9–12-year-old children, respectively, in the adjusted model. The number of decayed teeth was inversely and significantly associated with the standardized age-adjusted weight.Conclusions. The findings highlight the association between untreated dental caries and being underweight in primary school children in socially deprived areas in low-income developing countries and emphasize the need to integrate oral and general health policies with social policies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Md. Al-Amin Bhuiyan ◽  
Humayra Binte Anwar ◽  
Rezwana Binte Anwar ◽  
Mir Nowazesh Ali ◽  
Priyanka Agrawal

Inadequate oral health knowledge and awareness is more likely to cause oral diseases among all age groups, including children. Reports about the oral health awareness and oral hygiene practices of children in Bangladesh are insufficient. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the oral health awareness and practices of junior school children in Mathbaria upazila of Pirojpur District, Bangladesh. The study covered 150 children aged 5 to 12 years of age from three primary schools. The study reveals that the students have limited awareness about oral health and poor knowledge of oral hygiene habits. Oral health awareness and hygiene practices amongst the school going children was found to be very poor and create a much-needed niche for implementing school-based oral health awareness and education projects/programs.


Author(s):  
Syed Abid Asghar ◽  
Pratibha Gupta ◽  
Mrinal R. Srivastava ◽  
J. P. Srivastava ◽  
Zeashan H. Zaidi

Background: School health is an important branch of community health. School health services is an economical and powerful means of raising community health. In school child is vulnerable to stress, tension and endangerment of group life because all children are not the same and comes from different socioeconomic and cultural background and with different immunity status. Child is quite vulnerable at this growing age and hence become easy victims of many non-communicable diseases such as dental caries, anaemia, visual and hearing defects. The objective of the study was to assess health status of primary school children in rural areas of Lucknow.Methods: The present school-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural area of Lucknow from February to July 2015. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select primary schools from 1st to 5th standard. All students who were present at the time of survey were included in the study. A pre-structured performa for each student was used to record information regarding anthropometric measurements, physical examination/ personal hygiene, clinical findings.Results: A total of 170 children were examined, among these 82 (48.23%) were boys and 88 (51.77%) were girls. Dental caries was the most common infirmity observed in 63 (37.05%) children with 95% CI (33.35- 40.75) and was statistically significant (p<0.05) with boys 29.27% and girls 44.31%. Anaemia were found in 65 (38.23%), boys were 32.92% and girls 43.18%. Ear discharge was seen in 17 (10%) children, boys were 6.10% and girls 13.63%.Conclusions: The common infirmity found were dental caries, anaemia and ear discharge. Effective strategy with good monitoring and evaluation is imperative in ensuring adequate and optimal implementation of school health services in primary schools in rural Lucknow.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
F. Mlenga ◽  
E. G. Mumghamba

Aim. To determine oral hygiene practices, knowledge, and experience of dental caries and gingival problems among urban and rural primary schoolchildren in Lilongwe District, Malawi. Methodology. This was an analytical and quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study. Four urban and four rural primary schools were conveniently sampled. Pupils aged 11–14 years (n = 409) were recruited using self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS program v20.0. Results. Out of 409 pupils, most of them had knowledge that dental caries is caused by consumption of sugary foodstuffs (91.4%), toothache is a symptom of dental caries (77.6%), gingivitis is caused by ineffective tooth brushing (92.7%), and gingival bleeding is a sign of gingivitis (85.3%). Most pupils experienced toothache (30.8%); many of them had parents with secondary education and above (35.0%) compared to those with primary education (23.5%). 24.4% experienced gingival bleeding with higher percentages from urban (30.1%) than rural (18.5%) schools. Plastic toothbrush users (95%) overshadowed chewing stick users (24.9%). The use of chewing stick was significantly higher in rural (49%) than in urban (1.9%) schools. Likewise, tooth brushing before bed was significantly higher in rural (33%) than in urban (17.2%) pupils. The use of toothpaste during tooth brushing was significantly higher among urban (91.9%) than among rural (64%) pupils. The prevalence of tongue cleaning was 70.2%, and the differences were significantly higher among pupils who had parents with secondary and higher education in urban schools and among pupils aged 11–12 years in comparison with their counterparts. Conclusions. Most pupils reported cleaning their teeth regularly, mostly using plastic toothbrush rather than chewing stick, using toothpaste, and having adequate knowledge about dental caries and gingival disease, and a quarter of them had suffered from these diseases with evidence of rural-urban disparities. Integration of oral health in school health promotion program and further research on its impact on oral health status are recommended.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Anguach Shitie ◽  
Rahel Addis ◽  
Abebe Tilahun ◽  
Wassie Negash

Background. Dental caries (decay or cavities) is a breakdown of teeth as a result of bacteria. Dental caries is one of the preventable oral health problems and the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Poor dental and oral health affect the quality of children’s life. Objectives. To estimate the prevalence of dental caries and its associated factors among primary school children in Alem Ketema, North Showa, Ethiopia. Methodology. An institution-based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 422 primary school children, from February 9 to March 8, 2020. Pretested structured questionnaire and oral examinations were conducted by using the WHO criteria (DMFT) index to collect the data. The data were entered into Epi-Data 3.1 software, and analysis was carried out using SPSS version 23 and variables with P value ≤0.05 in the multivariable binary logistic analysis were considered as a cut-point to declare statistical significance. Result. The prevalence of dental caries was 46.9% (95% CI: 42.1, 51.7). The mean Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index was 1.28 (±1.21). Being male (AOR = 1.975, 95% CI = 1.067–3.66), lack of parents’ insistence (AOR = 2.052, 95% CI = 1.079–3.902), lack of oral health education program (AOR = 4.753, 95% CI = 1.69–13.38), history of dental aches (AOR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.55–5.32), and poor habit of mouth wash (AOR = 4.74, 95% CI = 2.55–8.79) were found significantly associated with dental caries. Conclusion. The prevalence of dental caries was higher and a common public health problem among school children. Lack of parent’s insistence, sex, dental ache history, poor practices of mouth wash, and lack of oral health education were significant predictors of dental caries. Therefore, oral health education program and parents encouraging their children to practice oral hygiene are important to prevent dental caries.


1999 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 218-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
T H Lam ◽  
A J Hedley ◽  
S F Chung ◽  
D J Macfarlane ◽  

1 We aimed to study whether passive smoking is associated with respiratory ill health in primary school children in Hong Kong. 2 In this cross-sectional study, a standardised structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on respiratory symptoms, smokers in the household and smoking habit of the children. A random sample of 30 primary schools was included. Four classes were randomly selected for each school, one class each from each school year of primary 3-6. A total of 3964 children aged 8-13 years completed the questionnaire during October 1995-May 1996. The response rate was over 94%. 3 In 3480 children who had never smoked, after adjusting for gender, age, place of birth and living district, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were: (a) throat problems, 1.35 (1.08-1.68); (b) cough, 1.54 (1.28-1.84); (c) phlegm, 1.43 (1.21-1.70); (d) wheezing, 1.21 (0.89-1.41); (e) nose problems, 1.17 (1.02-1.35). The odds ratios increased with increasing number of smokers at home (P for trend < 0.001; except for wheezing, P=0.3). The odds ratios for having any of the above symptoms for one, two and three smokers at home were respectively 1.15 (0.99-1.34), 1.48 (1.16-1.88) and 2.03 (1.47-2.81); P for trend < 0.001. 4 We conclude that the results provide further evidence that passive smoking is a cause of respiratory ill health in school children in Hong Kong.


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