Oral Health Educational Methods in Adolescence

Educational Methods in Oral Health for Adolescents: Influence on Knowledge and Oral Clinical Conditions

Adolescence is a phase of important redefinitions and become an important period in the construction of new habits. Therefore, oral health education becomes strongly necessary, since good habits acquired at this stage may be perpetuated for adult life. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of an educational protocol on oral health in oral knowledge and clinical conditions in adolescence. A longitudinal study is being conducted with an initial sample of 291 adolescents enrolled in a public school in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. The educational protocol was built in four phases. In phase I, the participants answered a questionnaire (pre-test) that included five statements about periodontal diseases and their forms of prevention. The answers were arranged in a Likert scale with a score of 1 (one) for the correct responses and 0 (zero) for the incorrect ones, obtaining, therefore, the knowledge score (KC). At this stage, adolescents is also being clinically assessed using simplified oral hygiene index (IHO-S) for dental plaque evaluation and gingival bleeding (ISG). In phase II, the sample (n = 291) is being randomly divided into two groups that receive two different educational interventions: oral orientation (OR) and video (VD). After each intervention, the questionnaire (post-test) is being reapplied. In the next phase (III), the study population (n = 291) is being again divided into four groups, and for two of them (OR + APP / VD + APP) a smartphone app was developed to messages which are being sending over a period of 30 days. In phase IV, the participants (n = 263) are answering again to the questionnaire (follow-up test) and are being reassessed clinically. Non-parametric tests and univariate and multivariate Poisson regression with robust variance will be used for statistical analysis (α = 0.05).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Adolescent Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Oral orientation and App for smartphone; Behavioral: Oral orientation; Behavioral: Video orientation and App for smartphone; Behavioral: Video orientation

Detailed Description

A longitudinal study has been conducting with an initial sample of 291 adolescents enrolled in high school at a public school in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. The educational protocol is characterized by four phases. In the first stage (Phase I), the participants are answering a questionnaire (pre-test) in order to verify the level of previous knowledge of the sample regarding periodontal diseases and their forms of prevention and are being clinically examined. In phase II the adolescents are randomly divided into two groups, which receive different educational methods: oral orientation (OR) and the application of a video (VD). After the educational interventions, the participants answer the questionnaire (post-test). In phase III, the two groups are being divided into four subgroups: oral orientation with App (OR+App), oral orientation without App (OR without App), video with App (VD+App) and video without App (VD without App). OR+App and VD+App received a mobile phone application specially developed for this study containing educational messages which are being during a period of 30 days. In the fourth phase (IV) the participants answer the questionnaire again (follow-up test) and are reassessed clinically.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 288
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years to 19 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adolescents of both sexes
• Regularly enrolled in the high school of a public institution

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants with physical or mental condition
• Absence of signing consent form
• Adolescents with fixed orthodontic apparatus

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Oral orientation and App for smartphone; The oral health educational method of this group comprised a total of 66 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years who received standardized oral guidance performed by one of the previously trained researchers and included aspects of general and oral health and, in particular, of periodontal diseases. The participants of this group also received an App for smartphone containing messages of reinforcement in oral health which was sent during a period of 30 days.	Behavioral: Oral orientation and App for smartphone; 66 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years. Participants enrolled in this group received standardized oral guidance performed by one of the previously trained researchers and included aspects of general and oral health and, in particular, of periodontal diseases. This intervention was carried out in a classroom, in a group with approximately 20 participants, providing an environment of discussions about the subjects covered. The duration was approximately 15 minutes. The participants also received an App for smartphone containing messages of reinforcement in oral health which was sent during a period of 30 days.
Experimental: Oral orientation; The oral health educational method of this group comprised a total of 71 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years who received standardized oral guidance performed by one of the previously trained researchers and included aspects of general and oral health and, in particular, of periodontal diseases.	Behavioral: Oral orientation; 71 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years. Participants enrolled in this group received standardized oral guidance performed by one of the previously trained researchers and included aspects of general and oral health and, in particular, of periodontal diseases. This intervention was carried out in a classroom, in a group with approximately 20 participants, providing an environment of discussions about the subjects covered. The duration was approximately 15 minutes.
Experimental: Video orientation and App for smartphone; The oral health educational method of this group comprised a total of 63 adolescentes aged between 14 and 19 years who received oral health information through an audiovisual material produced especially to this research to offer a teaching medium capable of arousing the attention of its audience. The participants of this group also received an App for smartphone containing messages of reinforcement in oral health which was sent during a period of 30 days.	Behavioral: Video orientation and App for smartphone; 63 adolescentes aged between 14 and 19 years. Participants enrolled in this group received oral health information through an audiovisual material produced especially to this research to offer a teaching medium capable of arousing the attention of its audience. The elaboration counted with the participation of three actors, two acting as adolescents and the third as a dental surgeon. The video had a total duration of 14 minutes. The participants also received an App for smartphone containing messages of reinforcement in oral health which was sent during a period of 30 days.
Experimental: Video orientation; The oral health educational method of this group comprised a total of 63 adolescentes aged between 14 and 19 years who received oral health information through an audiovisual material produced especially to this research to offer a teaching medium capable of arousing the attention of its audience.	Behavioral: Video orientation; 63 adolescentes aged between 14 and 19 years. Participants enrolled in this group received oral health information through an audiovisual material produced especially to this research to offer a teaching medium capable of arousing the attention of its audience. The elaboration counted with the participation of three actors, two acting as adolescents and the third as a dental surgeon. The video had a total duration of 14 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Knowledge Score	The knowledge score varied from 13 (five) to 0 (zero). Higher scores means better outcomes.	30 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidade Federal do Paraná
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Luciana Zanon, PhD, Universidade Federal do Parana

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Vilella KD, Fraiz FC, Benelli EM, Assuncao LR. Oral Health Literacy and Retention of Health Information Among Pregnant Women: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Oral Health Prev Dent. 2017;15(1):41-48. doi: 10.3290/j.ohpd.a37712.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 15, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 11, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 12, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): July 13, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 5, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 24, 2020
• Last Verified: April 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: adolescent; oral health; knowledge
• Other Study ID Numbers: 51712315.4.0000.0102

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No