scholarly journals Assessment of oral health behavior and knowledge among dental and medical undergraduates in Chongqing, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 156-163
Author(s):  
Lin Jiang ◽  
◽  
Yueheng Li ◽  
Ximu Zhang ◽  
Zhi Zhou ◽  
...  

Dental and Medical students are professional health care providers in the future, and their self-awareness and behavior of oral health highly affects their oral health education attitude for the general population. The objectives of this study were to investigate oral health behavior and knowledge of dental and medical undergraduates. The oral health behavior and knowledge of 221 dental undergraduates and 325 medical undergraduates in China were investigated through a questionnaire. With grades increasing, the oral hygiene behaviors and knowledge of undergraduates were gradually improved. Dental undergraduates showed better improvement than medical ones. However, for the higher grade students of two majors, not everyone brushed their teeth twice a day for three minutes each time, or used fluoride toothpaste. Very few people used floss, some undergraduates smoked every day. The proportion of dental undergraduates in the three grades who answered all the oral health questions correctly was 7.69%, 65.08% and 78.75% respectively, and the proportion of medical ones was 8.96%, 12.39% and 33.33% respectively. The dental and medical undergraduates’ mastery of oral health knowledge and behavior was undesirable, especially the latter. It is necessary to carry out oral health education for medical undergraduates and even dental undergraduates in various ways from the beginning of freshmen.

Author(s):  
Angela G Brega ◽  
Rachel L Johnson ◽  
Sarah J Schmiege ◽  
Anne R Wilson ◽  
Luohua Jiang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Health literacy (HL) is the “ability to find, understand, evaluate and put information to use to improve decision making and, ultimately, improve health and quality of life.” Parents with limited HL are less likely to follow recommended parental oral health behaviors. Purpose We tested a theoretical framework designed to clarify mechanisms through which HL may influence parental oral health behavior. The framework proposed that HL: (a) has a direct effect on parental oral health knowledge, beliefs (i.e. self-efficacy; perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers), and behavior; (b) influences beliefs indirectly through knowledge; and (c) influences behavior indirectly through knowledge and beliefs. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from a randomized controlled trial designed to reduce dental decay in American Indian children (N = 521). Parents completed survey questions assessing sociodemographic characteristics, HL, and parental oral health knowledge, beliefs, and behavior. Path analysis was used to test the framework. Results HL exerted significant direct effects on knowledge and beliefs but not behavior. HL had significant indirect effects on all beliefs through knowledge. Significant indirect effects of HL on behavior occurred through self-efficacy (estimate: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.42, 1.83, p = .005), perceived barriers (estimate: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.29, 1.43, p = .010), knowledge to self-efficacy (estimate: 0.57, 95% CI: .31, 0.98, p = .001), and knowledge to perceived barriers (estimate: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.47, p = .012). Conclusions HL exerted an indirect effect on parental oral health behavior, with knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers being the primary constructs linking HL to behavior.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyu Kyu Swe ◽  
Aung Kyaw Soe ◽  
Saw Htun Aung ◽  
Htin Zaw Soe

Abstract Background: Oral diseases are common and widespread around the world. The most common oral diseases are preventable and early onset is reversible. Myanmar faces many challenges in rendering oral health services because about 70 percent of the total population resides in rural areas. These relate to the availability and accessibility of oral health services. Therefore, oral health education is one key element to prevent oral diseases and to promote oral health.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out at Basic Education Middle Schools in rural areas of Magway Township to study the effectiveness of oral health education on knowledge and behavior of eight to ten-year-old school children. A total of 220 school children, 110 from the intervention school, and 110 from the control school participated in this study from 2015 to 2017. Data were collected before and after intervention in the two groups by using a self-administered questionnaire. Tooth brushing method data were collected by direct observation with a checklist. Oral health education was provided at eight weekly intervals for one year. At one and a half years, third-time data collection was done on the intervention group to assess retention. Chi-square test, two samples t-test, one way repeated measure ANOVA were used for data analysis. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Public Health,Yangon, Myanmar.Results: There were significant differences between the two groups in oral health knowledge (p<0.05) except one and also in behavior (p<0.001) after the intervention. A positive effect of the intervention was found in the intervention group. The intervention had a significant effect on the sustainability of the correct knowledge and behavior of the intervention group although the education session was stopped for six months (p<0.001). Their mean knowledge and behavioral scores at three different points got at these times were (2.45±1.12 and1.56±0.90) at baseline, (3.79±1.12 and 3.60±1.21) at one year after education, and (4.07±0.98 and 3.24±1.31) at six months after cessation of education, respectively. Conclusions: The repeated oral health education was effective to promote and sustain oral health knowledge and behavior.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyu Kyu Swe

Abstract Background: Oral diseases are common and widespread around the world. Many oral health problems are preventable and early onset is reversible. Myanmar faces many challenges in rendering oral health services and about 70 percent of total population resides in rural areas. These relate to the availability and accessibility of oral health services. Therefore, oral health education is one key element to prevent oral diseases and to promote oral health.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out at Basic Education Middle Schools in rural areas of Magway Township to study the effectiveness of oral health education on knowledge and behavior of eight to ten years old school children. A total of 220 school children, 110 from intervention school and 110 from control school, participated in this study from 2015 to 2017. Data for knowledge and behavior were collected before and after intervention in the two groups by using self-administered questionnaire. Tooth brushing method data were collected by direct observation with checklist. Oral health education was provided at eight weekly intervals for one year in the intervention group. After one year and six months, oral health knowledge and behavior were determined in the intervention group only to measure retention. Chi-square test, two samples t test, One way repeated measure ANOVA were used for data analysis. The study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of University of Public Health in Yangon, Myanmar.Results: After education, a positive net effect of intervention and significant improvement was found in the intervention group compared to the control group regarding oral health knowledge (p<0.05) except one that is foods that can cause dental caries (p=0.107) and behavior (p<0.001). Retention of mean ± standard deviation on knowledge and behavioral scores were 2.45±1.12, 3.79±1.12, 4.07±0.98 and 1.56±0.90, 3.60±1.21, 3.24±1.31 at baseline, at one year after education and at six months after cessation of education respectively, and, total knowledge and behavioral scores were significantly improved (p<0.001) among the school children in the intervention group.Conclusion: The repeated oral health education was effective to promote and sustain oral health knowledge and behavior. Word counts: 342


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-196
Author(s):  
Ece Eden ◽  
Melis Akyildiz ◽  
Işıl Sönmez

This study evaluated the effectiveness of two school-based oral health education (OHE) programs on the oral health knowledge and behavior and oral hygiene of 9-year-old children in Turkey. The study included 1,053 school children aged 9 years in Aydin, Turkey. This study was a prospective, two-arm, and parallel-group clinical trial between two different OHE programs. The dentist group received one lecture on OHE given by dentists in the classroom. The teacher group had a similar lecture given by school teachers, including supporting materials which were available throughout the academic year. Oral health knowledge and behavior were evaluated with a questionnaire at baseline, and then at 1 and 6 months. In total, 110 students were randomly selected to undergo a plaque accumulation assessment according to the Silness–Löe Index at baseline and 1 month later to determine the effects of the education programs on oral hygiene. At baseline, tooth-brushing frequency was similar in the study groups. Compared with baseline, the frequency of brushing increased significantly after 1 and 6 months in both groups ( p < .001). Teacher education was more effective for teaching correct brushing techniques ( p < .001). A significant decrease in plaque accumulation has been evaluated in both study groups at the 1-month examination after the education session ( p < .05). Both OHE programs were found to generate improvements in knowledge and behavior of children on oral health and plaque control in the short term.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyu Kyu Swe ◽  
Aung Kyaw Soe ◽  
Saw Htun Aung ◽  
Htin Zaw Soe

Abstract Background Oral diseases are common and widespread around the world. Many oral health problems are preventable and early onset is reversible. Myanmar faces many challenges in rendering oral health services and about 70 percent of total population resides in rural areas. These relate to the availability and accessibility of oral health services. Therefore, oral health education is one key element to prevent oral diseases and to promote oral health. Methods A quasi-experimental study was carried out at Basic Education Middle Schools in rural areas of Magway Township to study the effectiveness of oral health education on knowledge and behavior of eight to ten years old school children. A total of 220 school children, 110 from intervention school and 110 from control school, participated in this study from 2015 to 2017. Data for knowledge and behavior were collected before and after intervention in the two groups by using self-administered questionnaire. Tooth brushing method data were collected by direct observation with checklist. Oral health education was provided at eight weekly intervals for one year in the intervention group. After one year and six months, oral health knowledge and behavior were determined in the intervention group only to measure retention. Chi-square test, two samples t test, One way repeated measure ANOVA were used for data analysis. The study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of University of Public Health in Yangon, Myanmar. Results There were significant differences between the two groups in oral health knowledge (p<0.05) except one and also in behavior (p<0.001) at after intervention. A positive effect of intervention was found in intervention group. The intervention had significant effect on sustainability of correct knowledge and behavior by the school children in intervention group although education session was stopped for six months after one-year education (p<0.001). Their mean knowledge and behavioral scores at three different points in time were (2.45±1.12 and 1.56±0.90) at baseline, (3.79±1.12 and 3.60±1.21) at one year after education, and (4.07±0.98 and 3.24±1.31) at six months after cessation of education, respectively. Conclusion The repeated oral health education was effective to promote and sustain oral health knowledge and behavior.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Folake Barakat Lawal ◽  
Gbemisola Aderemi Oke

Abstract Background The school is primed as an avenue for promoting health among adolescents. Conversely, the high unmet dental needs among school-going adolescents raises concern about the role of schools in this task. This study therefore assessed the role of schools in supporting positive oral health behavior of adolescents in a major city in a Low-Income-Country. Methods From 30 secondary schools that were randomly selected, 2097 students aged 12–18 years were recruited for this cross sectional study conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data was obtained through the use of self-administered questionnaire to the students; this assessed oral health education and other oral health promotional activities that had taken place in the school from the students as well as their motivation to participate in school oral health programme. A checklist was used to assess availability of oral health promotional materials in the schools and the schools’ tuck shops for sale of healthy food. Data were analyzed with SPSS. Results The only oral health promotional activity reported in the schools was oral health education conducted in 8 (26.7%) schools and only 331 (15.8%) students had been educated about their oral health. There were no oral health promotional materials in the schools. About half, 1161 (55.4%) students were motivated to participate in school oral health program. All the tuck shops had cariogenic foods and drinks for sale. Students from schools where oral health education had been conducted were better motivated to participate in school oral health program (OR = 1.6,95%CI = 1.2-2.0,p < 0.001) but disagreed with restriction of sales of cariogenic food in school’s stuck shops (OR = 2.2,95%CI = 1.6-3.0,p < 0.001). Conclusion The schools surveyed played very little or no role to support positive oral health behavior of adolescents. Students who had been exposed to oral health education in school were better motivated about their oral health.


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