Injury Prevention, Safety Education and Violence in Relation to the Risk of Tooth Fracture among Korean Adolescents

Assessment of the environmental risk factors associated with traumatic dental injuries among WHO index-aged children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are becoming a worldwide phenomenon owing to their variable prevalence, and their etiology is considered multifactorial and complex in interactions among various risk factors. These are preventable if risk factors are analyzed and interpreted in all possible scientific manners. The objective of this study was to assess the various environmental risk factors (places of occurrence of TDI) among World Health Organization (WHO) index-aged children and adolescents (12 and 15 years).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This was the epidemiological cross-sectional study conducted in Aligarh City, Uttar Pradesh, India, in the year 2018, with a sample size of 1000. Multistage random sampling technique was employed. Study data were collected by doing dental examination and structured interview with self-prepared pro forma in ten randomly selected sampling sites (schools) from different regions of the city. Subsequently, data were entered in an Excel sheet and then analyzed with the Chi-square test using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

RESULTS

Overall, school (63; 46.7%) was found to be the most prevalent environmental risk factor for TDI followed by home (37; 27.4%), roadside (10; 7.4%), and playground (9; 6.7%). Fifteen (11.1%) affected individuals were not able to recall the place of the TDI incident, while 0.7% (1) had TDI occurrence in other places. Among 12-year index-aged children, home (15; 34.1%) was the most common place of TDI in rural regions, while school (27; 67.5%) was the most frequent place of TDI in urban regions. Among 15-year index-aged adolescents, school (19; 59.4%) was found to be the most common place in rural regions, whereas school (9; 47.4%) was the most frequent place of TDI in urban regions.

CONCLUSION

Environmental factors, especially school premises, infrastructure, and playing facilities, need to be upgraded and built with an emphasis on a safer environment for children. Teachers, parents, and school children should be educated and made aware of the preventive measures for dental injuries in schools and homes. Appropriate safety gears should be mandatory to use among children and adolescents during outdoor sports and recreational activities.

Associations between Mental Health and Oral Health among Korean Adolescents: Analysis of the National Surveys (2008-2017)

We aimed to analyze the trends and associations between the oral and mental health of Korean adolescents using the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Surveys. In total, 713,713 adolescents who participated in the surveys were included. To examine trends in oral and mental health, Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between the weighted percentages and years, and the regression line slope was assessed to estimate annual changes. A complex sample logistic regression analysis was also performed. Experiencing oral symptoms and suicide-related factors both showed a gradually decreasing trend from 2008 and slight increases in 2017 and 2016, respectively. Compared with adolescents who had no oral symptoms, those with all six oral symptoms showed an increase in suicide attempts in the last 12 months, suicide ideation, and feelings of sadness and despair. In conclusion, experiencing more oral symptoms is associated with an increased risk of suicide-related factors.