Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of oral health education experience on needs for oral health education in children and adolescents in elementary and secondary schools. A self-administered survey was conducted on the students in elementary, middle and high schools located in the city of Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, from October 1 to 31, 2018. The data that were collected from 327 students were analyzed by SPSS 21.0. Statistical data on frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were obtained, and t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis were carried out. The findings of the study were as follows: First, the subjects got 2.25 on a three-point scale in self-rated oral health status. This score was above average, which indicated that the students thought they were in good oral health. As for problems with oral health, dental caries was given the highest score of 2.48 on a five-point scale, followed by oral malodor with 2.35. Second, the students who experienced oral health education accounted for 69.1 percent, and the students who felt the need for this education represented 82.6 percent. As for educational content desired, the biggest group of 57.8 percent hoped to learn about how to prevent and manage dental caries, and the second largest group of 17 percent wanted to learn about how to take care of oral health during orthodontic treatment. Third, as a result of investigating the state of oral health education by the grade of school, the elementary school students had more oral health education experience than the middle and high school students, and the middle school students placed the most importance on the necessity of oral health education. The differences were statistically significant. Fourth, as a result of analyzing the correlation between oral health education experience and the necessity of oral health education, the students who had more oral health education experience asked more for this education, which implies that there was a statistically significant positive correlation. The findings of the study ascertained that oral health education should be provided for students in childhood and adolescence to boost the level of their oral health knowledge and change their oral health attitude in a positive manner. If oral health practice programs that connect schools, local communities and families with one another are developed to guide the oral health behaviors of teenagers in the right direction, it will make a contribution to the promotion of oral health.
