Abstract
We have evaluated the impact of a school-based intervention on oral health knowledge, behaviours, and oral health status of adolescents in Vietnam. This 6-month study included 462 adolescents aged 12 years from four selected schools in Hue City, Vietnam. The intervention group received a 15-min lecture by a dentist and hands-on session on mouth observation and toothbrush-ing skills. The control group did not engage in any educational activities during the follow-up pe-riod. Data were collected at baseline and 6 months through a survey questionnaire and clinical ex-amination. The Debris Index was used for dental plaque; the Papillary, Marginal, Attached gingiva index for gingivitis; and the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth index (World Health Organization modification) for dental caries. Difference-in-difference analysis was used to compare changes between the groups. After 6 months, the control tended to show decreased toothbrushing frequency and increased dental plaque accumulation. The participants in the intervention group showed improved oral health knowledge (p <0.01), behavior (p < 0.05), and hygiene (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. However, the intervention did not improve dental caries and gingivitis. A single school-based oral health education program can help adolescents improve oral health knowledge and prevent the deterioration of short-term oral health behavior and hygiene.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2715 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-12 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | International journal of environmental research and public health |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2021 Mar 1 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Adolescent
- Health education
- Oral hygiene
- Secondary schools
- Vietnam
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
UN SDGs
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