Gupta Tanupriya, Sequeira Peter, Acharya Shashidhar
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, New Delhi, India.
Oral Health Prev Dent. 2012;10(4):345-54.
To assess the oral health knowledge, attitude and practices of 15-year-old schoolchildren in Udupi Taluk, Southern India and to identify their social determinants.
In this cross-sectional study, the sample was selected using stratified cluster random sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was filled out by the participants and evaluated using bivariate and multivariate analyses.
A total of 664 children were assessed. About 90% of participants had knowledge about causes of dental caries and the role of toothbrushing in its prevention. Lower proportions (40% to 60%) of participants were aware of gum disease and the role of fluoride and dental floss. A majority (>90%) of the children used a toothbrush and toothpaste, 63.3% of the children did not know whether their toothpaste contained fluoride or not, 61.9% of them cleaned their teeth two or more times a day and only 18.2% of the children visited the dentist for routine check-ups. In the multivariate analysis, a rural area of residence was associated with increased odds of inadequate oral hygiene behaviour (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.10-2.52), of not having recently visited a dentist (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.20-2.98) and of doing so only due to pain (OR: 2.52, 95% CI: 1.57-4.05). Attending private school was associated with decreased odds of these (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.24-0.55; OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.36-0.89; OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.25-0.63 respectively), but it contributed significantly to a higher diet score (i.e. more sugary products consumed) (ß: 9.11. 95% CI: 2.97-15.25).
There is a need to improve the oral health knowledge, attitude and practices in the target population with emphasis on improvement of oral hygiene and dental visit behaviours amongst rural and government school children and diet in private school children.
评估印度南部乌杜皮县15岁学童的口腔健康知识、态度和行为，并确定其社会决定因素。
在这项横断面研究中，采用分层整群随机抽样法选取样本。参与者填写一份自填式问卷，并使用双变量和多变量分析进行评估。
共评估了664名儿童。约90%的参与者了解龋齿的成因以及刷牙在预防龋齿中的作用。了解牙龈疾病以及氟化物和牙线作用的参与者比例较低（40%至60%）。大多数（>90%）儿童使用牙刷和牙膏，63.3%的儿童不知道他们的牙膏是否含氟，61.9%的儿童每天刷牙两次或更多次，只有18.2%的儿童会去看牙医进行常规检查。在多变量分析中，居住在农村地区与口腔卫生行为不充分（比值比：1.67，95%置信区间：1.10 - 2.52）、近期未看牙医（比值比：1.89，95%置信区间：1.20 - 2.98）以及仅因疼痛才看牙医（比值比：2.52，95%置信区间：1.57 - 4.05）的几率增加相关。就读私立学校与这些几率降低相关（分别为比值比：0.36，95%置信区间：0.24 - 0.55；比值比：0.56，95%置信区间：0.36 - 0.89；比值比：0.39，95%置信区间：0.25 - 0.63），但这显著导致更高的饮食得分（即食用更多含糖产品）（β：9.11，95%置信区间：2.97 - 15.25）。
有必要改善目标人群的口腔健康知识、态度和行为，重点是改善农村和公立学校儿童的口腔卫生和看牙行为，以及私立学校儿童的饮食。
