Determining the Influence of Oral Health Infotainment Module on Behavior and Oral Hygiene of 6-year-old School-children and their Mothers in Davangere City.

Abstract

ABSTRACTAim and backgroundDental plaque and calculus are common in school-aged children worldwide causing unsatisfactory oral health. This stage is a critical time to establish attitudes, beliefs, and shape an individual's health-related behavior. Moreover, parental oral health knowledge and attitudes are known to influence their child's oral health and hygiene.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study with a two-stage intervention trial involving a sample of 6-year-olds from two schools in Davangere city was done. Children were randomly allocated into three intervention groups by lottery method. Data included plaque index (PI) modified for 6-year-old children at baseline, 30th day, and at 60th day. Children and their mothers were requested to fill a self-administered questionnaire. The statistical analysis used ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test and measures ANOVA. p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThere was a significant reduction in the PI modified in 6-year-olds within and among the three groups at the end of 60 days (p = 0.001). Maximum reduction was seen in group II followed by group III and thereafter group I in both the age-groups.ConclusionThe study shows that at 60 days, the oral health infotainment module involving parental support was able to achieve appreciable improvement in the child's oral health and hygiene and inculcate a better attitude toward oral self-care.How to cite this articlePotlia I, Naveen Kumar PG, Ramesh MV, et al. Determining the Influence of Oral Health Infotainment Module on Behavior and Oral Hygiene of 6-year-old Schoolchildren and their Mothers in Davangere City. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(5):633–639.