Effects of Dental Health Education Program on Dental Caries and Gingivitis Preventive Behaviors among the Four to Six Grade Students in Kaoliao District, Nakhonsawan Province

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research aimed to evaluate the effects of dental health education program by applying self-efficacy theory and social support theory in behavioral modification for dental caries and gingivitis preventive behaviors among the four to six grade students in Mahaphot subdistrict, Kaoliao District, Nakhonsawan Province. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select the sample of 70 students. They were divided into two groups of 35 each for the experimental and control groups using the lottery method of simple random sampling. The experimental group participated in an eight-week dental health education program that included the following activities: selecting oral health care products, self-examining for oral cavity, practicing brushing and flossing, setting goals for good oral health, recording oral health behaviors in a diary notebook, and receiving support from a friend for oral healthcare. The control group was provided with normal patterns of health education. Data were collected by using a questionnaire divided into 5 parts: (1) general information, (2) self-efficacy for dental caries and gingivitis prevention, (3) outcome expectation for dental caries and gingivitis prevention, (4) social support, and (5) dental caries and gingivitis preventive behaviors. Statistics utilized for data analysis were descriptive statistics (frequency distributions, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, Mann-Whitney test, independent t-test, and paired t-test). The results showed that the experimental group’s mean score of self-efficacy, outcome expectation, social support, and dental caries and gingivitis preventive behaviors were better than before receiving the dental health program and higher than that in the control group (p<0.05).