Time trends in oral health behaviors among Norwegian adolescents: 1985-97

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate 1) the temporal changes in oral health behaviors and 2) the development of the distribution of oral health behaviors on the basis of socioeconomic factors among Norwegian adolescents from 1985 to 1997. Large-scale national surveys to assess smoking, intake of sweets, soft drink consumption, and toothbrushing among Norwegian adolescents were conducted in November 1985, 1989, 1993, and 1997. The surveys were part of the World Health Organisation (WHO) international study, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children. A total of 3955 (1985), 5037 (1989), 4952 (1993), and 5026 (1997)11-, 13-, and 15-year-old students completed anonymous questionnaires at school. The response rates varied from 79% to 90%. The results showed a strong increase in the percentages reporting ever smoking and daily intake of soft drinks and sweets with age from 11 to 15 years in each survey year. In 1997, at the age of 15 years, most students reported toothbrushing more than once a day (94% boys, 97% girls) and ever smoking (39% boys, 36% girls), whereas moderate proportions confirmed daily intake of soft drinks (28% boys, 19% girls). Comparison of the results across the survey years, from 1985 to 1997, showed an overall decrease in ever smoking (boys, 59% versus 39%; girls, 52% versus 36%) and toothbrushing more than once a day (boys, 95% versus 94%; girls, 99% versus 97%). Contemporary increases occurred with regard to daily soft drink consumption. Inequalities in ever smoking and daily soft drink consumption between socioeconomic status groups decreased and increased, respectively, from 1985 to 1997. The sex disparities observed in 1985, with boys being more likely than girls to report ever smoking and daily soft drink consumption, leveled off in 1997.