Development and evaluation of a secondary school oral health resource

Methods: Focus groups were carried out to assess oral health knowledge of pupils and teachers from selected schools across North and South Lanarkshire. A resource pack entitled Smile with Confidence was developed and introduced into the curriculum of pilot schools. Evaluation was conducted by means of class monitoring forms, pre and post questionnaires, and interviews. Input from the evaluation was used to improve the final resource pack, which would be launched to all secondary schools.

Results: Sixteen pupils and 14 teachers were involved in needs assessment focus groups. Knowledge gap in oral health included: three key oral health messages and hidden sugars in foods and drinks. The pilot resource was delivered amongst S1 pupils in nine pilot schools. Post questionnaires showed substantial increase in number of correct answers in most questions. Percentage of pupils giving correct answer to question ‘when are the best times to brush your teeth' increased from 63% to 83%. Those answering correctly to question ‘which of the following is not a type of sugar' increased from 49% to 64%. Percentage of pupils being able to identify the statement ‘using mouthwash is as good as brushing your teeth' as false increased from 68% to 84%. In general, the evaluations gave positive feedback on the DVD in resource pack, while minor changes were recommended to some of the activities.

Conclusions: The above project showed that not all secondary school pupils and teachers had good oral health knowledge. The Smile with Confidence resource pack proved to be an effective source of teaching material to fill the knowledge gap.