IADR Abstract Archives
Oral Health Impacts of the Health Promoting School (HPS) in Malaysia.
Objectives: (i) To evaluate the impacts of the HPS on schoolchildren’s levels of oral health knowledge, attitudes, behaviour, and oral health status (caries) over 6 years (ii) To determine the factors associated with the outcomes.
Methods: The study used a retrospective cohort design conducted in the state of Negeri Sembilan. The intervention group comprised Year 6 (11-12 years old) students in HPS in 2011 who had exposure to HPS for previous 6 years while the control group comprised Year 6 students in 2011 with no previous exposure to HPS. Data on children’s oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours were collected using a validated questionnaire. Caries data were collected from students’ dental records. Data were analysed using SPSS software.
Results: The response rate was 95.1%. Final sample comprised 1224 children from 16 intervention and 2061 students from 30 control schools. No significant differences in OHK and OHA were found between the groups. The intervention group had a significantly higher mean OHB score (p<0.001) and lower 6-year mean DMFT and DMFS incremental scores than the control group, respectively (p<0.05). Intervention group had a significantly lower caries incidence rate (22.1%) than control group over 6 years (28.1%)(p<0.001, prevented fraction = 21.4%).
Gender, school location, father’s education, family income and HPS were significant factors associated with the 6-year mean caries increment (R2=0.03, small effect size).
Conclusions: The HPS had significant impacts on children's OHB and caries over 6 years.
Methods: The study used a retrospective cohort design conducted in the state of Negeri Sembilan. The intervention group comprised Year 6 (11-12 years old) students in HPS in 2011 who had exposure to HPS for previous 6 years while the control group comprised Year 6 students in 2011 with no previous exposure to HPS. Data on children’s oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours were collected using a validated questionnaire. Caries data were collected from students’ dental records. Data were analysed using SPSS software.
Results: The response rate was 95.1%. Final sample comprised 1224 children from 16 intervention and 2061 students from 30 control schools. No significant differences in OHK and OHA were found between the groups. The intervention group had a significantly higher mean OHB score (p<0.001) and lower 6-year mean DMFT and DMFS incremental scores than the control group, respectively (p<0.05). Intervention group had a significantly lower caries incidence rate (22.1%) than control group over 6 years (28.1%)(p<0.001, prevented fraction = 21.4%).
Gender, school location, father’s education, family income and HPS were significant factors associated with the 6-year mean caries increment (R2=0.03, small effect size).
Conclusions: The HPS had significant impacts on children's OHB and caries over 6 years.