Research

Relationship between oral health behavior, oral health status, and school-based oral health education among Korean adolescents

Sang-Eun Moon   Sun-Hwa Hong*   Bo-Ram Lee   

Department of Dental Hygiene, Kwangju Women’s University
1Department of Dental Hygiene, Chunmam Techno University

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the factors that affect the school-based oral health education in adolescents. Methods: This study was analyzed using data from the Korea youth risk behavior web-based survey in 2017. A total of 62,276 adolescents participated. The collected data was analyzed using the chi-square test, and logistic regression using SPSS, version 21.0. Results: Among the general factors related to oral health education in schools, male students experienced 1.14 times more oral health education in schools compared to female students, and middle school students experienced 1.81 times more oral health education than other students (p<0.001). With respect to oral health status, the groups without tooth fractures, pain during mastication, or gum pain and bleeding experienced 1.18 times, 0.95 times, and 1.03 times more oral health education in schools, respectively, compared to the group with complaints (p<0.001)(p<0.05). With respect to oral heath behavior, the group that brushed after lunch ‘sometimes’ during the last seven days received 1.43 times more oral health education compared to the group that ‘always’brushed after lunch . Conclusions: It is necessary to supplement, extend, and strengthen oral health education programs in schools as well as motivate and recognize such programs.

Figures & Tables

Table 1. School oral health education experience according to general characteristics Unit: N(%)