The present study was surveyed students at six middle schools and four high schools in Cheongju City. The subjects were sampled at random from the middle schools evenly among the grades, and from the high schools evenly among the grades and between ma...
The present study was surveyed students at six middle schools and four high schools in Cheongju City. The subjects were sampled at random from the middle schools evenly among the grades, and from the high schools evenly among the grades and between male and female students. A total of 909 questionnaires were analyzed. Data were collected using a structured self?]administered questionnaire from the 6th to 16th of July, 2009.
This study was conducted in order to examine adolescents?f oral health promotion level in a community and identify related factors. For this purpose, In the survey, independent variables were demographical and health?]related behavior characteristics, parents?f socioeconomic characteristics, modifying factors (past oral health behavior, parent?]child communication and intimacy, family support, stress), and cognitive-perceptual factors (self?]esteem, social support), and the dependent variable was past oral health promotion behavior. Covariance structure analysis was performed in order to see how the oral health promotion level was affected by the modifying factors and the cognitive-perceptual factors. The results of this study are summarized as follows:
1. The SiC index for the subjects was 3.14, while the high risk group had the SiC index of 6.12, the FS-T index of 26.26, and the T-Health index of 103.83. Oral health promotion behavior had significantly negative correlation with the SiC index and that in the high risk group and had significantly positive correlation with the FS-T index and the T-Health index; the SiC index was negatively correlated with the FS-T index and the T-Health index.
2. The average score of oral health promotion behavior was 36.88 in all the subjects, 35.98 in the high risk group, 37.10 in the middle risk group, and 37.62 in the low risk group, so it was lowest in the high risk group. In the adolescents of the high risk group, the score was significantly lower in male students than in female ones, in those whose subjective health state was poor than in those whose subjective health state was good, and in those who did not have balanced dietary intake than in those who did.
3. In the adolescents of the high risk group, the score of oral health promotion behavior was significantly lower in those whose mother was a high school graduate or below than in those whose mother was a university graduate or above, in those whose father was a non?]specialist than in those whose father was a specialist, in those whose subjective economic state was poor, in those whose household richness was low, those who had never visited a dental clinic, and those whose parents were not interested in oral health.
4. In the adolescents of the high risk group, the score of oral health promotion behavior was significantly higher in those who were high in past oral health behavior, parent child intimacy, family support, and self?]esteem than in those who were low in those factors, but it was not significantly different according to parent?]child communication, stress, and social support.
5. Self?]esteem was significantly higher in those with high past oral health behavior, those with high parent?]child communication and intimacy, and those with high family support. Social support was also significantly higher in those with high past oral health behavior, those with high parent?]child communication and intimacy, and those with high family support.
6. Oral health promotion behavior showed a significant positive correlation with self?]esteem, social support, past oral health behavior, parent?]child communication, parent child intimacy, and family support.
7. In the results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis for determining the explanatory power of factors affecting the subject adolescents?f oral health promotion behavior, the oral health promotion level was higher in the upper class group, in those who visited a dental clinic for prevention, those whose parents?f interest was high, and those with high past oral health behavior, parent?]child intimacy, and family support, self?]esteem, social support and the explanatory power of these factors was 46.1%.
8. The results of covariance structure analysis showed that cognitive-perceptual factors had greater effects on oral health promotion behavior than modifying factors and that the higher modifying factors, the better oral health promotion behavior, and the higher cognitive-perceptual factors, the better oral health promotion behavior. In addition, higher modifying factors were more likely to increase cognitive-perceptual factors.
Therefore, it is necessary to obtain data about the high risk group through SiC index of the high risk group and make complementary preventive strategy with intensive management for the high risk group in planing and implementing a public oral health policy and to develop and implement a program to consider parents' socio-economic characteristics or modifying and cognitive-perceptual factors as well as socio-demographics and health-related behavior characteristics in order to induce adolescents to improve the level of oral health promotion.