Effectiveness of a School-Based Oral Health Promotion Program on Oral Health Practices, Behaviour, Self-Efficacy, and Clinical Outcomes Among Primary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Sponsor
- Universiti Putra Malaysia
- Enrollment
- 600
- Locations
- 3
- Primary Endpoint
- Oral Hygiene
Overview
Brief Summary
Schools provide an ideal setting for early interventions. Evidence suggests that educational programs incorporating behavioural change theories can improve oral hygiene practices and clinical outcomes.
A School-Based Oral Health Promotion Program on Oral Health Practices, Behaviour, Self-Efficacy, and Clinical Outcomes Among Primary School Children for six months, while the control group will receive no intervention, only routine care.
Detailed Description
Poor oral health in children leads to pain, absenteeism, and impaired quality of life. Schools provide an ideal setting for early interventions. Evidence suggests that educational programs incorporating behavioural change theories can improve oral hygiene practices and clinical outcomes.
A School-Based Oral Health Promotion Program on Oral Health Practices, Behaviour, Self-Efficacy, and Clinical Outcomes Among Primary School. The oral health promotion intervention will be implemented through weekly interactive sessions lasting 30-40 minutes over six months. These sessions, conducted by trained dental educators and teachers, will use animations, storytelling, demonstrations, and role-plays to teach proper toothbrushing, the importance of fluoride toothpaste, healthy eating habits, and the need for regular dental visits. Children will participate in supervised toothbrushing once a week, supported by peer ambassadors who reinforce daily practices. Educational leaflets and videos will engage parents, while posters in classrooms serve as reminders. Follow-up assessments, including questionnaires and clinical indices, will be conducted at six months, while the control group will receive no intervention, only routine care.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Health Services Research
- Masking
- Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking Description
Investigators and outcome assessors will be blinded
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 6 Years to 8 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Children aged 6-8 years enrolled in selected schools
- •Written informed consent from parents/guardians and assent from children
Exclusion Criteria
- •Children with systemic conditions affecting oral health
- •Those currently in other oral health interventions
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Oral Hygiene
Time Frame: 6-months
Oral Hygiene will be assessed by the presence of debris (plaque) and calculus (tartar) on selected tooth surfaces, measured by the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) Individual Debris Index (DI-S) and Calculus Index (CI-S): Each of the six surfaces is scored individually for both debris and calculus using a 0-3 scale: 0: No debris or calculus is present. 1. Debris or calculus covers less than one-third of the surface. 2. Debris or calculus covers between one-third and two-thirds of the surface. 3. Debris or calculus covers more than two-thirds of the surface. Good: 0.0 - 1.2 Fair: 1.3 - 3.0 Poor: 3.1 - 6.0
Gingival score
Time Frame: 6 months
Gingival score assessed by the gingival score index: 0: Normal gingiva, no inflammation. 1. Mild inflammation - slight color change and edema (swelling), no bleeding on probing. 2. Moderate inflammation - redness, edema, glazing, and bleeding on probing. 3. Severe inflammation - marked redness, edema, ulceration, and tendency towards spontaneous bleeding. The index typically uses a scale of 0 to 3, with 0 representing normal gingiva and higher scores indicating increasing severity of inflammation
Plaque score
Time Frame: 6 months
Plaque score index: 0: No plaque. 1. Separate flecks of plaque at the gum line. 2. A thin band of plaque along the gum line. 3. A band of plaque wider than 1mm but covering less than one-third of the tooth. 4. Plaque covering one-third to two-thirds of the tooth. 5. Plaque covering more than two-thirds of the tooth. Higher scores indicate more plaque and poorer oral hygiene.
Secondary Outcomes
- oral health practices(6 months)
- Oral Health Impact Profile.(6 months)
Investigators
Arshed Muhammad
PhD
Universiti Putra Malaysia