Cartoon based information booklet versus traditional teaching for better outcome in oral hygiene among primary school students

Abstract

Dental caries and periodontal diseases have been considered the most important global oral health burdens. Dental caries is still a major oral health problem in both developing and developed countries, affecting 60%–90% of school children and majority of adults. The traditional teaching method is one of the oldest and most common methods of teaching. Innovative methods of teaching are needed for better uptake of information and behavior change. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of cartoon-based information booklet versus traditional teaching regarding oral hygiene on knowledge and practice among primary school students. The quasi-experimental study included a total of 46 Class IV primary school students from two different primary schools. Two schools were randomly assigned as experimental and control groups, the experimental group students had cartoon-based booklet and the control group had traditional method of teaching regarding oral hygiene practices. Structured interview schedule and observational checklist were used to collect the data. The result showed that knowledge and practice of oral hygiene improved after both teaching programme i.e., cartoon-based information booklet and traditional teaching as evident by paired “t” value for knowledge, and also paired “t” value for practice, but when both teaching methods were compared, it was found that cartoon based information booklet was more effective in bringing better outcome in knowledge and practice of oral hygiene compared to the traditional method of teaching. Cartoon-based booklets can be an effective educational tool to improve knowledge and behavior in primary school children.