Department of Dental Hygiene, Shinhan University, 95 Hoam-ro, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi-do, 11644, Republic of Korea.
Department of Dental Hygiene, Hyejeon College, 25 Daehak-gil (Rd). Hongseong-eup, Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, 32244, Republic of Korea.
BMC Public Health. 2020 Jul 7;20(1):1074. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08550-7.
The present study aimed to investigate the association between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors among North Korean defectors.
This study involved the collection of self-reported questionnaires from 123 North Korean defectors visited a dental clinic that offered complimentary services, to receive dental treatment in a metropolitan area of South Korea from December 2017 to April 2018. Oral health literacy was measured with the Test of Korean Functional Health Literacy in Dentistry (TOKFHLiD), which consists of 30 items concerning verbal oral health literacy and 42 items concerning functional oral health literacy (28 items for reading comprehension and 14 items for numeracy). In addition, the questionnaire contains 15 and 14 items related to demographic characteristics and oral health behaviors (interest, lifestyle, diet, prevention), respectively, for a total of 101 items.
The mean oral health literacy score was 44 (out of a maximum possible score of 72). Oral health literacy and oral health behaviors were positively correlated (r = 0.526, P < 0.001), and oral health literacy also had a significant effect on oral health behaviors (Beta = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.04-0.33). However, although functional oral health literacy had a significant effect on oral health behaviors (Beta = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.01-0.43), verbal oral health literacy did not (Beta = 0.13, 95% CI: - 0.06-037).
Educational interventions are needed to improve oral health literacy, and thus oral health behaviors, as a part of the health promotion measures undertaken to facilitate the stable adjustment of North Korean defectors in South Korean society.
本研究旨在探讨朝鲜脱北者的口腔健康素养与口腔健康行为之间的关系。
本研究于 2017 年 12 月至 2018 年 4 月期间，从访问韩国大都市地区某牙科诊所接受免费治疗的 123 名朝鲜脱北者中收集了自我报告问卷。口腔健康素养采用韩国口腔功能性健康素养测试（TOKFHLiD）进行测量，该测试包含 30 个口头口腔健康素养项目和 42 个功能性口腔健康素养项目（阅读理解 28 项，计算能力 14 项）。此外，问卷还包含与人口统计学特征和口腔健康行为（兴趣、生活方式、饮食、预防）相关的 15 项和 14 项，共 101 项。
口腔健康素养平均得分为 44 分（满分 72 分）。口腔健康素养与口腔健康行为呈正相关（r=0.526，P<0.001），口腔健康素养对口腔健康行为有显著影响（Beta=0.26，95%可信区间：0.04-0.33）。然而，虽然功能性口腔健康素养对口腔健康行为有显著影响（Beta=0.20，95%可信区间：0.01-0.43），但口头口腔健康素养没有（Beta=0.13，95%可信区间：-0.06-0.37）。
需要开展教育干预措施，提高口腔健康素养，从而改善口腔健康行为，作为促进朝鲜脱北者在韩国社会稳定调整的健康促进措施的一部分。
