Oral Health Literacy Assessment Research Articles

Assessment of oral health knowledge, literacy, and attitude among schoolteachers towards oral health - A cross-sectional study

BackgroundTo accomplish the purpose of health education and health promotion programs, schools are the most effective place for delivering health information to children. The main purpose of our research was to inform, gather evidence and contribute to developing knowledge regarding the OHL, knowledge, and attitude among school teachers towards oral health in Najran region of Saudi Arabia.MethodsA questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Najran region of Saudi Arabia for 6 months. A stratified cluster random sampling of 252 teachers was taken to represent all the teachers of Najran region of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire contains 2 parts, sociodemographic part that include age, gender, education, teaching level, and income of the participants. The second part contains 25 items that assess the OHL (HelD-14 questions), knowledge (6 questions), and attitude (5 questions) of the participants. SPSS software version 26 was used to enter and analyze the data (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA software version 26.0). Multiple Logistic regression was applied to check the relationship between OHL and the associated factors. The Chi-square test was applied to evaluate knowledge of study participants. The level of significance was set up at p < 0.05.ResultsA total of 252 school teachers with a Mean age of school teachers 32.25 ± 8.46 participated in the study. The multiple logistic regression model shows the association between age, education, and OHL level of school teachers. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors age (OR = 0.219, 95% CI: 0.058–0.834), education (OR = 9.053, 95% CI: 1.135–72,023) were significantly associated with OHL of school teachers. Female participants showed better performance with respect to all the knowledge questions, a significantly higher level of knowledge (p-value < 0.05) was reported with all the questions except the second question (dental plaques causes). 94.8% of teachers agreed that children’s teeth should be checked by a dentist on a regular basis, while 96.8% agreed that dental health education should be included in the primary school curriculum and that all teachers should receive dental health education training.ConclusionOverall, school teachers have high oral health literacy, adequate knowledge, and a positive attitude toward oral health. The female teachers had more knowledge about dentistry than their male counterparts.

Assessment of oral health literacy and oral health-related quality of life in Saudi university students: A cross-sectional study.

Oral health literacy was recognized as important to encouraging oral health and avoiding oral health diseases. It is recognized that socioeconomic conditions are also influential factors in oral health. Therefore, oral health is an important part of individuals' quality of life and general health. This study was conducted to assess oral health literacy (OHL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among undergraduate students studying at university. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out from November to February 2023 among the students of King Khalid University. OHL and OHRQoL were assessed using a Rapid estimate of adult literacy in dentistry-30 (REALD-30) and oral health impact profile (OHIP-14). Further, Pearson's correlation tests were used to measure the correlation between REALD-30 and OHIP-14. Among the 394 completed respondents, the majority were aged >20 years (n = 221; 56.09%), aged <20 years (n = 173; 43.91%), female (n = 324; 82.23%) and male (n = 70; 17.7%). Participants from health-related colleges were (n = 343; 87.06%), and other colleges were (n = 51; 12.94%) *p < .04. Participants brushing frequency once daily were (n = 165; 41.88%) twice or more per day (n = 229; 58.12%) *p < .018. The overall mean REALD-30 score of the participants was 11.76 ± 0.17 indicating low OHL. The higher mean score of OHIP-14 for the following domains physical pain 12.93 ± 0.56, physical disability 12.05 ± 0.72 and psychological disability 12.71 ± 0.76. Oral health impact profile-14 and REALD showed a positive correlation for health-related colleges (r = .314; *p < .002) and other colleges (r = .09; p < .072). However, a significant correlation was observed between REALD-30 and OHIP-14 scores among health-related colleges (p < .05). The current study concluded that self-rated poor oral health is significantly linked with OHIP-14 scores. Furthermore, systematic health education programs such as regular dental check-ups for college students must be arranged to assist in changing the student's everyday life and oral health behaviours.

Development and Validation of Vocabulary Oral Health Literacy Scale

Purpose: Literacy is the ability of a person to read and write. Most of the adult population struggle to understand basic information regarding health and oral health due to lack of literacy. There are several tools to assess the oral health literacy of adult population. The main disadvantage with other scales were the pronunciation of the words as it varies in India. Hence a new one named Vocabulary Oral Health Literacy Scale was formulated to overcome this problem. The aim of this study was to develop and Validate Vocabulary Oral Health Literacy Scale with four different domains. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 104 subjects belonging to the age group of 16–60 years residing in Puducherry. Approval was obtained from Institutional ethical committee before the start of the study. A simple random sampling was used to select the study subjects. The data was collected using a well-structured proforma. The proforma consisted of two parts. The first part collected demographic data and the second part consisted of 10 common dental words for word recognition, 10 pictures for identification, 10 words with missing letters, and 5 lines for word comprehension. The data were entered in Microsoft excel spreadsheet and analysis was done using IBM Corp. Released 2012. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Results: A total of 104 subjects were included of which 41% were male and 58% were female with mean age of 20.95 ± 9.24 and 20.19 ± 5.39, respectively. Reliability tests revealed Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.723 and split half reliability value of 0.815. There was a positive correlation between all the four domains of VOHLS, Word recognition versus picture recognition (0.420); Word recognition versus filling the words (0.421); Word recognition versus comprehension (0.429); picture recognition versus filling the words (0.507); picture recognition versus comprehension (0.211); and comprehension versus filling the words (0.477). Conclusion: The Vocabulary Oral Health Literacy Scale showed a good reliability in the assessment of oral health literacy among the study population. There was a positive correlation between all the domains of the scale which shows good internal consistency in the scale. Hence, this scale can be used on a larger population to assess the oral health Literacy.

Assessment of oral health literacy among backbone of primary health care workers: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Background: Health is wealth if maintained accurately. Oral health is of prime concern as it can save from many diseases as well as not maintaining oral health can also lead to various diseases. Primary health care workers like ASHA and Anganwadi act as a bridge between Doctors and the general public. Thus, assessment of oral health literacy is vital among primary health care workers.Aim: To improve the oral health literacy level of primary health care workers of Udaipur city, India, Rajasthan.Materials and Method: A Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among ASHA and Anganwadi workers of Udaipur city for a duration of 3 months. Oral health literacy assessment was done using the health literacy in Dentistry scale (HeLD). Statistical analysis included Descriptive statistics, One way ANOVA with a 95% confidence interval and 5% significance level.Results: All the study participants were having High oral health literacy as per the obtained scores with no significant difference between sociodemographic variables and the Oral health literacy of study participants.Conclusion: The present study concludes the adequate amount of oral health literacy among ASHA and Anganwadi workers of Udaipur city.

Evaluation of oral health literacy among medical interns in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction: Physicians can play an essential role in promoting their patients’ oral health by integrating oral health screening and education into their practices. Thus, physicians’ oral health literacy (OHL) level can determine their role in oral health promotion. Aim: The assessment of OHL and its related factors among medical interns in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on medical interns using the OHL- adult questionnaire (OHL-AQ) for data collection. This validated questionnaire has 17 close-ended questions listed in four sections: 1 – perception and knowledge of oral health, 2 – numeracy skills for prescriptions of antibiotic and mouthwash, 3 – communication skills, and 4 – decision-making skills regarding common oral health problems. Results and Discussion: A total of 266 medical interns participated in the study (113 male and 153 female). The mean score of OHL was 10.7 ± 4.24 (out of 17), which falls in the borderline range. About 34% of medical interns had an inadequate level of OHL. OHL was not significantly correlated with age, gender, grade point average, or parent’s level of education (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: The present study shows that medical interns demonstrated a borderline level of OHL. Enhancement of oral health knowledge of those future physicians is recommended by the inclusion of oral health courses in their educational curriculum.

Influence of digital media in the oral health education of mother-child pairs: study protocol of a parallel double-blind randomized clinical trial

BackgroundDental caries is the most common non transmissible chronic disease in childhood and the control of dental biofilm in children is one of the greatest challenges in oral disease prevention. Digital media applications can help patients in improving their oral hygiene performance and reducing the number of appointments due to pain and discomfort reasons. This study aims to investigate the use of an smartphone application (WhatsApp) to deliver oral health education to mother-child pairs, with the ultimate goal of controlling dental biofilm and caries through digital activities focused on oral hygiene.MethodsThis study was designed as a randomized, double-blind, parallel clinical trial involving 100 pairs of mothers and children (6–12 years old). The mothers and children will be randomly allocated to the control group (n = 50 pairs), who will receive a single visit conventional oral health education, or to the experimental group (n = 50 pairs), who will receive both a single visit conventional oral health education and educational videos through WhatsApp Messenger, twice a week. Before randomization of the groups and after the intervention, pairs will be evaluated regarding to plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), and number of decayed, missing and filled permanent or primary teeth (DMF-T) modified by the inclusion of active non-cavitated carious lesions (Nyvad criteria). Socioeconomic data, dental history, and oral health literacy will obtained using questionnaires (Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task for Paediatric Dentistry; BOHLAT-P). Chi-square, Student’s t-test, paired Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Friedman tests will be used with a 5% significance level.DiscussionThis intervention proposal is designed to motivate behavioral change in mother-child pairs. We hypothesize that adding digital media to traditional oral health programs will provoke improvements in oral hygiene behavior and health outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the effect of educational videos communicated by digital media (WhatsApp) on the oral health of mother-child pairs evaluated by long-term dental examinations. In addition, we will assess the maternal level of comprehension of the provided information via a literacy assessment tool. The clinical trial is registered at the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (No. RBR-7s8bw6m).

Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task: Pathways between parental oral health literacy and oral health consequences in children.

Parental oral health literacy (OHL) is a determinant of oral health behavior and oral health status of children. To delineate the pathways between parental OHL and oral health consequences in children and to validate the Turkish version of the Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task (TOHLAT-P). This cross-sectional study was conducted with 315 parent-child dyads. The TOHLAT-P was psychometrically evaluated. Item analysis was performed to determine the reliability of the TOHLAT-P. Construct validity was tested by comparing a commonly used instrument using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients. A path model was developed to evaluate associations between parental OHL and oral health consequences in children. The model consisted of five endogenous variables (parental oral health behaviors, children's oral health behaviors, children's dental anxiety, dental caries, and oral health-related quality of life [OHRQoL]) and one exogenous variable (parental OHL). A path analysis was used to test the compatibility of the conceptual model, with a statistical significance of p < .001. There was a statistically significant association between parental oral health behaviors and children's oral health behaviors, and between dental caries and OHRQoL. The variable most directly affected by parental OHL was parental oral health behaviors, whereas the variable most indirectly affected by parental OHL was children's oral health behaviors. The path analysis revealed significant associations between parental and children's oral health behaviors, and between dental caries and OHRQoL. Understanding these pathways is necessary to establish strategies to improve children's oral health. The TOHLAT-P will be useful for future assessments of Turkish children.

Validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the rapid estimate of adult literacy in dentistry: REALD-29 PT

BackgroundHealth literacy is a main factor in health for its improvement, allowing the individuals to have a greater capacity to engage and participate in collective health promotion actions. The evaluation of functional health literacy is essential to determine the ability that each individual has to understand basic health information. The present study aimed to perform the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30 to the Portuguese language and test the reliability and validity of this version.MethodsAfter translation and cultural adaptation, the instrument was applied to a group of individuals that participate in the program Atividade Senior, developed by the municipality of Viseu, Portugal. The final sample was composed by 206 participants that accepted responding to the translated version of the instrument. Statistical validation was accomplished to complete the process and obtain the final instrument. One question was removed for the creation of the final instrument with 29 questions, therefore being named Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-29 PT.ResultsThe Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-29 PT presented good internal reliability. Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.89 to 0.90 when words were deleted individually. The analysis of test–retest reliability revealed excellent reproducibility. We can verify that the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-29 PT scale for assessment of oral health literacy among older adults presents an acceptable internal consistency, with a global Cronbach´s alpha of 0.894.ConclusionsThe new scale can be applied to assess oral health literacy among older Portuguese adults, presenting an acceptable internal consistency and is validated to assess oral health literacy and is crucial in epidemiological studies.

Assessment of adult oral health literacy among patients visiting Government dental college, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: A cross-sectional study

Assessment of adult oral health literacy among patients visiting Government dental college, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: A cross-sectional study

Development and validation of a short form of the BOHLAT-P.

The authors developed and validated a short form of the Brazilian Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task for Paediatric Dentistry (BOHLAT-P). Data included responses from 200 parents of preschoolers to sociodemographic and oral health service access questions on the BOHLAT-P, the Brazilian Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30), and the Brazilian Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS). Data on the preschoolers' dental caries experience (ICDAS-II) were also included. An item response theory-based approach was employed to develop the short form, while confirmatory factor analysis evaluated the instrument dimensionality. The validity and reliability of the short form were tested by statistical analysis using BREALD-30, B-ECOHIS, and sociodemographic and dental caries experience data. The short form (BOHLAT-P-30) comprises 30 items, is unidimensional, and presents better model fit estimates (TLI = 0.94; CFI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.05) than those of the BOHLAT-P. Moreover, BOHLAT-P-30 demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91; intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.95). BOHLAT-P-30 scores were positively correlated with BREALD-30 scores (r = 0.71), with the number of years of schooling (r = 0.60), and with the number of hours spent reading (r = 0.33). BOHLAT-P-30 scores were negatively correlated with B-ECOHIS scores (r = -0.21), and with the number of teeth with cavitated caries (r = -0.18). After controlling for confounding factors, BOHLAT-P-30 scores were not found to be associated with caries presence, or with the number of teeth with cavitated caries. The BOHLAT-P-30 had properties similar to those of the BOHLAT-P, and proved to be a valid measure to assess the OHL of Brazilian parents.

Assessment of oral health literacy of principal caregivers and its association with dental caries in Mexican disabled pediatric patients

Open bite can be defined as an absence of occlusion, most frequently located in the anterior region of dental arches and its etiology is multifactorial. We present a clinical case of an 8 years and 10 months child presenting an anterior open bite (AOB) with transverse maxillary deficiency caused by tongue thrust during mixed dentition. The malocclusion was corrected by means of a McNamara expander with a palatal crib jointly with the association of speech therapy for tongue repositioning, and otolaryngology to treat adenoid hypertrophy due to its correlation with AOB. The multidisciplinary approach was effective in correcting the malocclusion with stable results after 2 years post-treatment.

A Systematic Review of Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of Oral Health Literacy Tools

The aims of this systematic review were to critically appraise the quality of the cross-cultural adaptation and the psychometric properties of the translated versions of oral health literacy assessment tools. CINAHL (EBSCO), Medline (EBSCO), EMBASE (Ovid), and ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis were searched systematically. Studies focusing on cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of oral health literacy tools were included. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed according to the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist. Sixteen oral health literacy instruments in 11 different languages were included in this systematic review. However, only seven instruments met the criteria for an accurate cross-cultural adaptation process, while the remaining tools failed to meet at least one criterion for suitable quality of cross-cultural adaptation process. None of the studies evaluated all the aspects of psychometric properties. Most of the studies reported internal consistency, reliability, structural validity, and construct validity. Despite adequate ratings for some reported psychometric properties, the methodological quality of studies on translated versions of oral health literacy tools was mostly doubtful to inadequate. Researchers and clinicians should follow standard guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and assess all aspects of psychometric properties for using oral health literacy tools in cross-cultural settings.

Oral Health Literacy and Oral Health Status among Undergraduate University Students

Objective: To identify the prevalence of caries, plaque score, and periodontal disease and explore the correlations between oral health literacy scores and oral health status among undergraduate students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a group of undergraduate students using the Malay version of the Oral Health Literacy (OHL) Index. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select the samples. Clinical oral examinations were conducted by a single trained examiner using a Community Periodontal Index (CPI) probe and a mouth mirror. Data analysis was conducted using statistical tests contained in SPSS version 26, and statistical significance was set at p&lt;0.05. Results: A total of 280 students were recruited into the study. The prevalence of caries and periodontal disease was 58.9 and 13.2%, respectively. There was a significant association between OHL and field of study (p&lt;0.001). There was also a significant negative but weak correlation between OHL and dental plaque scores (r= -0.147; p=0.014). A significant positive but weak correlation was found between dental plaque scores and dental caries (r= 0.135; p=0.024) and periodontal pocket depth (r= 0.168; p=0.005). Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries was high, while the prevalence of periodontal diseases was low in this study. OHL correlated significantly with dental plaque scores and field of the study. Thus, OHL assessment is essential to understand a person’s OHL levels and can be considered a screening tool for early detection of poor oral hygiene.

Self-perception of oral health in the elderly associated with health literacy and related factors

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the self-perception of oral health in the elderly and to verify its association with oral health literacy and sociodemographic factors, through a cross-sectional study. Data collection took place in a probabilistic sample consisting of 535 elderly people over 60 years of age, who did not have cognitive problems, and were residents of the areas covered by six Family Health Units of the public health service, as well as users of a Center for Dental Specialties and dental clinics at the Faculty of Dentistry of Piracicaba (FOP), all located in the city of Piracicaba, Sao Paulo. A questionnaire with sociodemographic and health issues was applied, as well as the Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD-14) instrument for the assessment of oral health literacy. Poisson regression was used to estimate the associations between self-perceived oral health and literacy in oral health, as well as sociodemographic and general health characteristics. The data were analyzed using the SAS statistical software. The final regression model demonstrated that the elderly who were more likely to report poor oral health self-perception were associated with a low level of oral health literacy, were of the “non-white” ethnic group, had chronic illnesses and had sought the dentist for curative reasons in the last year. It was concluded that the self-perception of oral health in the elderly is influenced by variables that go beyond the dental sector, a fact that demands multiprofessional and intersectoral actions for their care. This fact highlights the importance of integrating aspects of health literacy in health and sociodemographic factors into the process of assessing oral health in the elderly, expanding the perspective of public health assessment for actions focused only on normative needs. Key messages We show the importance of assessing the oral health of the elderly in association with health literacy, expanding the perspective of public health assessment to actions beyond the normative needs. Despite the importance of the topic, there is still a scarcity of studies on health literacy and its impact on oral health behaviors and outcomes, impacting public health.

Development, judgment of the validity and reliability of an instrument of assessment of Oral Health Literacy among diabetics

ABSTRACT Objective The study purposed to perform content validation and verification of the reliability of an instrument in the form of a questionnaire, called “ Oral Health Literacy for Diabetics “. It was designed to investigate whether there was access, understanding, appraise and practice of information related to oral health among diabetics. Methods This is a methodological research that was carried out through the application of the Oral Health Literacy for Diabetics between 109 diabetic patients, since at least 60 participants should be considered in studies using test/retest. The research complied with the ethical principles of research. The content validation was performed by dentists, acknowledging the relevance and the ability to measure the levels of literacy of each item of the Oral Health Literacy for Diabetics. The reliability/reproducibility was estimated by the test/retest in an interval of seven to fifteen days by Kappa, using the SPSS®. Results The results showed that the content of the Oral Health Literacy for Diabetics presented relevance and ability to measure the levels of literacy in oral health among diabetics. The results of the Kappa ranged from -0.09 to 1. Only 16 of the 150 questions did not have satisfactory levels of agreement, i.e., Kappa smaller or equal to 0.60. We chose to synthesize the Oral Health Literacy for Diabetics initially with 150 questions, for a version with 30 questions. Conclusion It is concluded that the Oral Health Literacy for Diabetics was considered valid with respect to the content and that a general form its reliability was satisfactory. It is recommended to use the Oral Health Literacy for Diabetics in academia and in health services aiming to improve the quality of life of diabetic patients.

Critically Appraisal of Tools to Measure using the COSMIN Checklist

Purpose: Oral health literacy tools are important for assessing a population’s oral health knowledge and awareness. The objective of this study was to critically appraise the methodology used for developing all the existing oral health literacy assessment tools, by systematically reviewing the available evidence. Materials &amp; Method: Databases used for the search were Wiley, BMJ open, Pub Med/Medline and Science Direct. We identified 10 studies, published in English during 2006-2016, that focused on the development and validation of oral health literacy tools. We then assessed these studies using the COSMIN checklist, which evaluates the methodological quality of studies on measurement properties. Results: Most of the tools were adapted from the general health literacy tool. All the 10 tools had measured validity and reliability, but lacked cross-cultural validity. Conclusion: Findings from this review confirm that majority of the tools focus towards assessment of word recognition, numeracy and reading skills, rather than indicative of aspects such as health behaviors and service utilization. Developing tools that are adapted for specific populations will require further work, such as incorporating tests to ensure their acceptability and cultural competence.

Validation for Brazilian Portuguese language of the Hong Kong Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task for Paediatric Dentistry (BOHLAT-P).

Oral health literacy (OHL) is associated with oral health outcomes. To validate the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Hong Kong OHL Assessment Task for Paediatric Dentistry (HKOHLAT-P). We performed cross-cultural adaptation of the HKOHLAT-P. A sample of 200 pre-schoolers and caregivers from Campina Grande, Brazil completed the Brazilian HKOHLAT-P (BOHLAT-P), sociodemographic questionnaire, the Brazilian Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS), and the Brazilian Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30). Child dental caries was assessed. Instrument reliability was measured by internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest (ICC). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) evaluated dimensionality. Regression models tested associations between BOHLAT-P and exploratory variables (P<.05). BOHLAT-P demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.92; ICC=0.95). BOHLAT-P and BREALD-30 scores (r=.71), number of schooling years (r=.60), and reading hours (r=.34) were positively correlated. BOHLAT-P and B-ECOHIS scores (r=-.22), and BOHLAT-P scores and number of cavitated teeth (r=-.15) were negatively correlated. After controlling for confounding variables, BOHLAT-P scores were not associated with caries or number of teeth with cavitated caries. BOHLAT-P is a valid and reliable instrument to assess the OHL of Brazilian parents.

The Effect of a Community Based Educational Intervention on Oral Health Knowledge Levels of Adult Caregivers of Young Children in the Rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan

ABSTRACTLow levels of oral health literacy in parents and caregivers may place a child at risk for poor oral health (Miller, Lee, DeWalt, & Vann, 2010). The purpose of this project was to determine baseline oral health literacy levels for a sample of adult caregivers of young children living in rural communities and to determine the effectiveness of a community-based education program on increasing these baseline levels of knowledge. A convenience sample of sixty-four participants who attended educational programs aimed at adult caregivers of young children comprised the sample. The Upper Peninsula Oral Health Literacy Assessment Survey was administered prior to and after participants attended the educational programming. A paired sample t-test was utilized to analyze the data. There was a statistically significant increase in oral health literacy levels after the implementation of a community-based educational program. Scores reflecting oral health literacy rose from 68.8% on the pre-test to 92.6% on the post-test. This study confirms a need for further oral health education. Increasing oral health literacy levels in adult caregivers of young children may lead to an increase in oral health seeking behaviors and a decrease in preventable dental caries in the pediatric population.

Assessment of Oral Health Literacy and Its Relationship with Oral Health Related Behaviour and Socioeconomic Status Among Students of A University in Chennai City

Health literacy is the ability of a person to understand instructions on prescription, appointment cards, health education pamphlets, doctor’s directions and consent forms. A common reason for misunderstanding health instructions may be the patient’s low health literacy skills. Therefore the present study was conducted with the aim of assessing the oral health literacy and its association with socioeconomic status and Oral health related behaviour among University students in Chennai City. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among 362 students of a private University in Chennai City. The subjects were selected using stratified random sampling from different faculty of studies. Oral health literacy was assessed using a validated instrument, the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30). The overall mean REALD-30 score of the participants was 19.13+5.6. The mean REALD-30 scores were lowest among students in the low socioeconomic status and highest among those in high class. The Mean REALD-30 scores among participants who rinsed their mouth were higher than those who did not rinse. About 46% had oral pain or discomfort during the past one year and their mean OHL score was significantly higher than those who did not had any pain or discomfort. The present study concludes that the overall oral health literacy of the study population is moderate and it does have a relationship with socioeconomic status and oral health behaviour although the different educational categories don’t influence it. Further studies are required to establish one to one causal relationship.

Sociodemography, Oral Health Status and Behaviours Related to Oral Health Literacy

Objective: To assess the relationships of socio-demography, self-reported oral health status, and behaviour with oral health literacy (OHL) among adults. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during a mega carnival in Kuala Lumpur. Socio-demographic, oral health status, and oral health behaviour data were obtained using a questionnaire, and OHL was determined by a validated Malay version of the 14 items Health Literacy in Dentistry Scale (HeLD-14). A total of 165 data of participating adults were tested using Pearson’s correlation, Independent t-test and One-way ANOVA with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: The mean age of participants was 30.4 years (S.D. 9.7 years). Malay HeLD-14 scores were higher among those who were from better socio-economic class (household income within the top 20% of the population) (p<0.005) those with good self-reported oral health status (good oral health status, no active caries) (p<0.005) and those with good oral health behaviours (brushed daily, flossed daily, does not vape) (p<0.05). Conclusion: Household income, self-reported oral health status, and behaviours were significantly associated with oral health literacy. Therefore, oral health literacy assessment is vital to help tailor appropriate oral health education and care.