• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2023

Background: The elderly population aged 65 or older in Korea is expected to continue to increase to 18.4% in 2023, and to enter a super-aged society at 20.6% in 2025. In clinical practice, the elderly discrimination of dental hygienists may experience difficulties during dental hygiene treatment due to an increase in the number of elderly patients due to aging, which can lead to maladjustment to work and turnover, so education on the understanding of the elderly is essential for students in the Department of Dentistry, who are prospective dental hygienists. Accordingly, a study was conducted to prepare for a super-aged society by studying the relationship between elderly discrimination and the knowledge and attitudes of the elderly, and to change the curriculum of universities and develop programs related to the elderly. Method: 204 students enrolled in the Department of Dentistry in D area were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. The subject's geriatric discrimination, knowledge about the elderly, and attitude toward the elderly were calculated as the mean and standard deviation. T-test and one-way ANOVA were performed to verify the difference in geriatric discrimination according to the general characteristics of the subject, with a Scheffe' test applied for post-hoc analysis. Correlation analysis was conducted on the subject's geriatric discrimination, knowledge about the elderly, and attitudes toward the elderly. Results: Geriatrics scored 2.03±0.36 out of 4. Knowledge about the elderly was categorized as follows: physical domain 0.57±0.15; social domain 0.36±0.17; and psychological domain 0.35±0.20. The attitude toward the elderly was 3.86±0.27. Knowledge of the elderly averaged 11.27±3.30 points out of 25. The question with the highest percentage of correct answers to knowledge about the elderly was 'physical strength tends to decrease with age', which was 93.1%. The attitude toward the elderly according to the general characteristics of the study subjects showed significant differences in gender (p=0.040), age (p=0.026), and life experience with grandparents (p=0.001). The elderly discrimination of the study subjects showed a negative correlation in both attitude and knowledge toward the elderly, and among the elderly discrimination, there was a high positive correlation with regard to emotional avoidance (r=.892, p<0.001). Conclusion: College students are the leading players in caring for the elderly and are directly affected by aging social problems. Therefore, it is considered necessary to apply various programs in the state, society, and educational institutions to avoid negative prejudices that lead to positive thinking and discrimination against the elderly.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.485-494
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• 2022

Objectives: The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in changes in the instructional methods used in kindergartens and daycare centers to prevent viral infections. This study aimed to investigate the changes in oral health care for children before and during COVID-19 and the perceptions of kindergarten and daycare center teachers about oral health care. Methods: The study subjects were 189 teachers of kindergartens and daycare centers in charge of children aged 3 to 5. The data for the analysis were collected through an online survey. Frequency analysis and the chi-squared test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Compared to before COVID-19, the frequency of tooth brushing after lunch, the number of oral health education and regular oral examinations, and the rate of childcare teachers' experiences with oral health education had decreased during COVID-19. In addition, educators in kindergarten and daycare centers responded that an oral health officer at a public health center was the most desirable oral health educator. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the oral health care of children in kindergartens and daycare centers has declined. Efforts are needed to restore it by educating people about oral hygiene care and oral health education, both at home and in kindergartens and daycare centers.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2006

As the number of old people grows in today's modern society, dental hygienist's role is more emphasized than ever before for oral hygiene management of the aged. It is also important to find out college students' knowledge, attitude and behavior towards the elderly. Therefore, this study is conducted through interview with college students who are majoring in dental hygiene of health care in Busan and will be in charge of oral hygiene. According to the interview, this study obtains the following results: 1. The level of undergraduate students' knowledge of old people shows a total score of $14.53{\pm}2.35$ (correct response rate is 69.9%). 2. The average score of undergraduate students' attitude towards old people is in a neutral range(50~70), recording 63.12(${\pm}7.22$) on a scale of 100. 3. The average score of undergraduate students' behavior towards old people is lower than a neutral range(43~60), recording 39.09(${\pm}13.43$) on a scale of 85 and showing negative behavior. 4. Experience of living together with the elderly and participating in volunteer jobs lead to significant differences in undergraduate students' attitude towards old people. 5. Experience of living together with the elderly causes significant differences in undergraduate students' behavior towards old people. That is, undergraduate students living together with the elderly show a positive behavior towards old people. 6. Undergraduate students' knowledge shows a strong positive relationship with their attitude, but it has a bit positive correlation with behavior even though there are no statistically significant differences between knowledge and behavior. No relationship is found between behavior and attitude. That is, undergraduate students have more positive attitude as their knowledge of the elderly is higher, but their behavior is not positive.