Harikiran A G, Pallavi S K, Hariprakash Sapna, Nagesh K S
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, DAPMRV Dental College, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Indian J Dent Res. 2008 Jul-Sep;19(3):236-42. doi: 10.4103/0970-9290.42957.
To organize community-oriented oral health promotion programs systematic analysis of the oral health situation would be needed, including information on oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP).
The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward oral health among 11 to 12-year-old school children in a government-aided missionary school of Bangalore city.
The study group comprised of 212 children (Male: 108; Female; 104) who were in the age group of 11-12 years studying in a government-aided missionary school of Bangalore city. Data on oral health KAP were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical significance was determined by Chi-square test.
This survey found that only 38.5% of the children brush their teeth two or more times a day. Pain and discomfort from teeth (35.1%) were common while dental visits were infrequent. Fear of the dentist was the main cause of irregular visit in 46.1% of study participants. High proportion of study participants reported having hidden sugar at least once a day: soft drinks (32.1%), milk with sugar (65.9%), and tea with sugar (56.1%). It was found that 5.4% and 3.9% of study participants smoke and chew tobacco, respectively.
Results of this study suggest that oral health KAP of study participants are poor and needs to be improved. Systematic community-oriented oral health promotion programs are needed to improve oral health KAP of school children.
为组织以社区为导向的口腔健康促进项目，需要对口腔健康状况进行系统分析，包括口腔健康知识、态度和行为（KAP）方面的信息。
本研究的目的是评估班加罗尔市一所政府资助的教会学校中11至12岁学童对口腔健康的知识、态度和行为（KAP）。
研究组由212名年龄在11 - 12岁的儿童组成（男：108名；女：104名），他们就读于班加罗尔市一所政府资助的教会学校。通过自填问卷收集口腔健康KAP的数据。采用卡方检验确定统计学意义。
本次调查发现，只有38.5%的儿童每天刷牙两次或更多次。牙齿疼痛和不适（35.1%）较为常见，而看牙医的频率较低。46.1%的研究参与者中，害怕看牙医是不定期就诊的主要原因。高比例的研究参与者报告每天至少有一次隐藏糖的摄入：软饮料（32.1%）、加糖牛奶（65.9%）和加糖茶（56.1%）。研究发现，分别有5.4%和3.9%的研究参与者吸烟和嚼烟草。
本研究结果表明，研究参与者的口腔健康KAP较差，需要改善。需要开展系统的以社区为导向的口腔健康促进项目，以改善学童的口腔健康KAP。
