A peer-led dental education program for modifying oral self-care in Mexican children.

OBJECTIVE: To compare peer-led dental education (PLDE) versus conventional dental instruction (CDI) in modifying children's oral self-care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The intervention group (two schools) received PLDE and the control group (two schools) received CDI. The quality of oral self-care practice (OSC-P) and oral self-care skills (OSC-S) were indicated by dental plaque levels (%) and compared before and after dental education. RESULTS: There were no baseline OSC-P differences between the control (55.8 ± 12.8%) and intervention (55.5 ± 14.6%) groups or OSC-S differences between the intervention (38.5 ± 13.2%) and control (38.1 ± 12.5%) groups. At the three-month follow-up we observed OSC-P deterioration in the control group (63.2 ± 15.0%) and OSC-P improvement in the intervention group (52.2 ± 15.6%). The OSC-P/OSC-S regression models found these predictors: baseline oral self-care, group affiliation, and mother's education (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis was confirmed and significant predictors were baseline oral self-care levels, group affiliation, and mother's education.

OBJETIVO: Comparar un programa educativo guiado por pares (PEGP) versus un programa basado en educación convencional (EC) dirigido al autocuidado bucal en niños. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: El grupo de intervención recibió un PEGP y el grupo control recibió EC. La calidad de prácticas de autocuidado (OSC-P) y habilidades de autocuidado (OSC-S) fueron indicadas por los niveles de placa dental (5) y comparadas antes y después de la intervención. RESULTADOS: No se observaron diferencias en los datos de línea base del OSC-P entre el grupo control (55.8 ± 12.8%) y el de intervención (55.5 ± 14.6%) o en el OSC-S entre el grupo de intervención (38.5± 13.2%) y el control (38.1 ± 12.5%). En el seguimiento a tres meses, se observó un deterioro en las OSC-P en el grupo control (63.2 ± 15.0%) y un mejoramiento en las OSC-P en el grupo de intervención (52.2 ± 15.6%). Los modelos de regresión lineal para las OSC-P/OSC-S encontraron como significativos los siguientes predictores: autocuidado bucal de línea base, el grupo de afiliación y la educación materna (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONES: La hipótesis fue confirmada y los predictores significativos fueron los niveles de autocuidado bucal de línea base, el grupo de afiliación y la educación materna.

School-Based Dental Education for Improving Oral Self-Care in Mexican Elementary School-Aged Children.

Aim. To test the efficiency and acceptance of school-based dental education for improving oral self-care in Mexican elementary school-aged children. Method. A total of 408 students from 4 schools were examined at the baseline, 3 months (follow-up rate was 94%) and 6 months observations (follow-up rate 91%). Group 1 served as a control, Group 2 received a lecture-based education, and Group 3 consisted of trained peer-leaders who educated their peers. Oral self-care practice and oral self-care skills were assessed at the baseline and both follow-ups. A number of sociodemographic and oral health behavior/knowledge characteristics were tested as predictors of oral self-care outcomes at different observation periods. Results. Oral self-care outcomes improved in Groups 2 and 3, but not in the control group. The selected child population, their caregivers and teachers perceived the school-based educational strategy as important and necessary. There was no consistent pattern of predictors explaining variations in oral self-care outcomes at any of the observation periods. Oral self-care improvement observed at the 6 months observation was mainly predicted by the baseline oral self-care levels, dental education, and age. Conclusions. The school-based dental education was easy to implement, and it was effective for improving children's oral self-care practice and skills.

A peer-led dental education program for modifying oral self-care in Mexican children / Un programa de educación para la salud guiado por pares dirigido al autocuidado bucal en niños mexicanos

Abstract: Objective: To compare peer-led dental education (PLDE) versus conventional dental instruction (CDI) in modifying children's oral self-care. Materials and methods: The intervention group (two schools) received PLDE and the control group (two schools) received CDI. The quality of oral self-care practice (OSC-P) and oral self-care skills (OSC-S) were indicated by dental plaque levels (%) and compared before and after dental education. Results: There were no baseline OSC-P differences between the control (55.8 ± 12.8%) and intervention (55.5 ± 14.6%) groups or OSC-S differences between the intervention (38.5 ± 13.2%) and control (38.1 ± 12.5%) groups. At the three-month follow-up we observed OSC-P deterioration in the control group (63.2 ± 15.0%) and OSC-P improvement in the intervention group (52.2 ± 15.6%). The OSC-P/OSC-S regression models found these predictors: baseline oral self-care, group affiliation, and mother's education (p<0.05). Conclusion: The hypothesis was confirmed and significant predictors were baseline oral self-care levels, group affiliation, and mother's education.

Resumen: Objetivo: Comparar un programa educativo guiado por pares (PEGP) versus un programa basado en educación convencional (EC) dirigido al autocuidado bucal en niños. Material y métodos: El grupo de intervención recibió un PEGP y el grupo control recibió EC. La calidad de prácticas de autocuidado (OSC-P) y habilidades de autocuidado (OSC-S) fueron indicadas por los niveles de placa dental (5) y comparadas antes y después de la intervención. Resultados: No se observaron diferencias en los datos de línea base del OSC-P entre el grupo control (55.8 ± 12.8%) y el de intervención (55.5 ± 14.6%) o en el OSC-S entre el grupo de intervención (38.5± 13.2%) y el control (38.1 ± 12.5%). En el seguimiento a tres meses, se observó un deterioro en las OSC-P en el grupo control (63.2 ± 15.0%) y un mejoramiento en las OSC-P en el grupo de intervención (52.2 ± 15.6%). Los modelos de regresión lineal para las OSC-P/OSC-S encontraron como significativos los siguientes predictores: autocuidado bucal de línea base, el grupo de afiliación y la educación materna (p<0.05). Conclusión: La hipótesis fue confirmada y los predictores significativos fueron los niveles de autocuidado bucal de línea base, el grupo de afiliación y la educación materna.