Tooth Brushing and Eating Behaviors Among Finnish 15-year-old Adolescents

Objectives: Our aims were to assess oral health behavior and associated factors of 15-year-old adolescents in Finland.
Methods: This study was part of the national School Health Promotion Study (SHPS) in Finland. The study population (n=45,877) consisted of a representative sample of 15-year-old Finnish adolescents who were on eighth or ninth grade in comprehensive school (boys: 22,891; girls: 22,986). A questionnaire enquired about the adolescents’ health and eating behaviors, tooth brushing frequency and smoking, and their background factors. Tooth brushing frequency was assessed using categories: twice-a-day, once-a-day or less than once-a-day. Students’ eating behaviors (breakfast, lunch, sugary snacks), smoking (occasional or daily smoking), family structure (living with both parents), and parents’ education (basic, intermediate, university) were used as background variables. The associations between the background variables and tooth brushing frequency were analyzed. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression served for statistical analyses.

Results: Less than half of the boys (40.1%) and about two-thirds of the girls (66.7%) brushed their teeth twice a day (p<0.001). Of the 15-year-olds, 26.1% reported smoking at least occasionally. The regression models showed that not eating breakfast regularly, for boys (OR=2.2, CI:2.1–2.4) and for girls (OR=1.8, CI:1.7–1.9), was significantly associated with poor tooth brushing behavior (<2/day). In addition, parent’s low education level (OR=1.4, CI:1.3–1.5; OR=1.5, CI:1.4–1.6) was associated with poor tooth brushing (<2/day). Schoolchildren’s smoking habit was associated with poor tooth brushing among the boys (OR=1.4, p<0.001), but not among the girls.
Conclusions: Recommended twice-a-day tooth brushing was low among Finnish 15-year-old adolescents. Schoolchildren’s irregular breakfast eating and parents’ education were significantly associated with poor oral health behavior. More emphasis on oral health promotion and education is needed.