Oral health care behaviors, oral health status, and oral health-related quality of life among Grade 6 students in schools under The Local Administrative Organization in Lampang City Municipality
Abstract:
This cross-sectional research aimed to study oral health care behaviors, oral health status,
and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL)and relationship between oral health status and oral
health care behaviors, oral health status and oral health care behaviors and OHRQoL.
among grade 6 students in schools under the Local Administrative Organization in Lampang City
Municipality. The sample included 248 sixth-grade students selected based on specific inclusion and
exclusion criteria. Data collection involved conducing oral health examinations and interviews to
access oral health care behaviors and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL)using the Child-
Oral Impacts on Daily Performances Index (Child-OIDP) assessment. Data were analyzed using
descriptive statistics and inferential statics, including Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and
Spearman's rank correlation statistics. The statistical significance level was determined at the 0.05
level.
The results revealed that, in terms of the oral health status of the students, the average tooth
decay, extraction and filling was 1.55 tooth per person. The gingivitis status was predominantly
moderate, affecting 84.7% of the students. In terms of oral health care behavior, divided into 3
sections. The first section addressed eating behaviors, revealing that 77% of students primarily
consumed snacks after school in the evening, with 54.4% favoring crunchy snacks. The second section
focused on oral hygiene practices. It was found that 54.4% of students brushed their teeth for more
than two minutes, and 80.69% brushed their teeth every morning. However, 70.2% did not avoid eating
for two hours after brushing, 71.0% employed the spit-don't-rinse method, and 41.5% never used
dental floss. The last section concerned visits to dental professionals, showing that 59.7% of the
students had not received any dental services in the past year. Regarding OHRQoL, 65.3% reported
that oral health problems negatively impacted their quality of life, with an average score of 3.51 ±
4.58 points. The most affected activity was eating (35.1%), with the highest impact score related to
eating and the ability to smile or laugh without embarrassment, averaging 0.75 points out of 9. In
terms of relationships between behaviors and oral health, it was found that certain behaviors
significantly correlated with the total number decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) was the
consumption of candy, lollipops, and milk tablets (p < 0.001), as did brushing teeth in the morning (p
= 0.007). However, no significant relationship was found between oral health care behaviors and the
overall gingival status score. Additionally, it was found that the total DMFT score was related to
OHRQoL across seven activities, including the overall total score (rs = 0.582), but it was not related
to educational activities. For the gingival status score, a correlation was observed with OHRQoL in
only two activities: oral cleaning (rs = 0.222) and maintaining normal emotions (rs = 0.147), as well
as with the overall total score (rs = 0.145).Regarding oral health care behaviors, those related to
OHRQoL included consuming snacks, sweets, and sweet drinks during morning school breaks
(p= 0.012), refraining from eating for two hours after brushing teeth (p = 0.017), and brushing teeth
during the day (p = 0.032).
The findings of this study indicate that the majority of students are affected in terms of
OHRQoL. This impact is associated with both oral health care behaviors and oral health status. To
enhance the quality of life for students, it is essential to promote effective oral health care behaviors,
thereby ensuring improved oral health status and consequently a better quality of life.