Hosseini Maryam Sadat, Rakhshanderou Sakineh, Safari-Moradabadi Ali, Ghaffari Mohtasham, Pakkhesal Mina
Department of Public Health,School of Public Health & Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Health, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Alborz, Iran.
BMC Public Health. 2025 May 29;25(1):1982. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23124-1.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Despite the crucial role of oral health literacy (OHL) in improving oral health outcomes, structured educational interventions targeting adolescents remain limited. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a school-based intervention in enhancing OHL among female students. METHODS: This randomized controlled field trial was conducted with 140 female secondary school students in Gorgan, located in northern Iran. Four public schools participated in the study, with two schools randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 70) and two to the control group (n = 70). The data collection tool was the valid and reliable Test of Oral Health Literacy in Adults (TOHLA), which consists of four domains: cognitive, behavioral, media, and communicational. Following the pre-test, essential needs assessments were conducted. Subsequently, the experimental group received training in four 45-minute sessions, delivered by a team of dentists and the researcher. The training methods included lectures, question-and-answer sessions, practical demonstrations (using models), and educational video clips. Participants were also provided with pamphlets and PowerPoint slides as educational media. Two months after the educational intervention, a post-test was administered to all students. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Version 16. The statistical tests employed included the McNemar test, ANCOVA, paired t-test, independent t-test, and Chi-square test. RESULTS: The intervention significantly improved the total OHL score, as well as its cognitive, behavioral, media, and communicational domains in the experimental group (P < 0.001). The control group showed a slight, yet significant, improvement only in the behavioral domain (P = 0.009), with no significant changes observed in the other domains. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that a school-based educational intervention significantly improved oral health literacy (OHL) among female students. Significant increases were observed across all OHL domains in the experimental group, highlighting the effectiveness of structured interventions in promoting oral health awareness and behaviors among adolescents. While the study confirmed the intervention's effectiveness, it was limited to female students; future research should explore diverse populations and examine long-term effects.
背景与目的:尽管口腔健康素养(OHL)在改善口腔健康结果方面起着关键作用,但针对青少年的结构化教育干预措施仍然有限。本研究旨在评估一项基于学校的干预措施对提高女学生口腔健康素养的有效性。 方法:本随机对照现场试验在伊朗北部戈尔甘的140名女中学生中进行。四所公立学校参与了研究,其中两所学校被随机分配到实验组(n = 70),两所学校被分配到对照组(n = 70)。数据收集工具是有效且可靠的成人口腔健康素养测试(TOHLA),它由四个领域组成:认知、行为、媒体和沟通。在进行预测试后,进行了基本需求评估。随后,实验组接受了由一组牙医和研究人员进行的四次45分钟课程的培训。培训方法包括讲座、问答环节、实际演示(使用模型)和教育视频片段。还为参与者提供了宣传册和PowerPoint幻灯片作为教育媒介。在教育干预两个月后,对所有学生进行了后测试。使用SPSS 16版对收集的数据进行分析。采用的统计测试包括McNemar检验、协方差分析、配对t检验、独立t检验和卡方检验。 结果:干预措施显著提高了实验组的总体口腔健康素养得分及其认知、行为、媒体和沟通领域的得分(P < 0.001)。对照组仅在行为领域有轻微但显著的改善(P = 0.009),其他领域未观察到显著变化。 结论:该研究证实,基于学校的教育干预措施显著提高了女学生的口腔健康素养(OHL)。实验组在所有口腔健康素养领域均有显著提高,突出了结构化干预措施在促进青少年口腔健康意识和行为方面的有效性。虽然该研究证实了干预措施的有效性,但仅限于女学生;未来的研究应探索不同人群并研究长期影响。
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