Hygiene practices among young adolescents aged 12-15 years in low- and middle-income countries: a population-based study

Factors associated with the impact of fixed appliance orthodontic treatment on the oral health-related quality of life of adolescents: Assessment using a condition-specific instrument

Background

Oral outcomes may have an impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with the impact of fixed appliance orthodontic treatment on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents.

Material and Methods

Individuals aged 10 to 18 years undergoing orthodontic treatment were included. Data regarding adolescents' sex and age, parental schooling, family income, and number of individuals who depend on income were collected. Clinical variables, orthodontic tooth extraction and malocclusion severity were also analyzed. OHRQoL was assessed with a questionnaire with items distributed across nine domains: aesthetics, functional limitation, diet, hygiene, maintenance, physical impact, social impact, time constraints, and transport/cost inconveniences. The higher the score, the more negative the adolescent's perception of his/her OHRQoL. Statistical analysis was performed.

Results

Seventy-five adolescents participated. Individuals aged ≤12 years had a more negative perception of the diet domain (p=0.026). Individuals whose parents/guardians had ≥8 years of schooling had a more negative perception of the impact on the hygiene domain (p<0.024). Individuals whose families had an income of ≤2 salaries had a more negative perception of the maintenance domain (p=0.016). Girls had a more negative perception of the physical impact domain (p<0.018). Girls (p=0.011), adolescents whose families had an income of ≤2 salaries (p=0.003), and adolescents who had severe malocclusion (p=0.026) had a more negative perception of the transport/cost inconveniences domain. Girls had a significantly higher overall score in response to the questionnaire than boys (p=0.041).

Conclusions

Adolescents' sex, age, and malocclusion as well as parental education and family income were associated with the impact of orthodontic treatment on adolescents' OHRQoL. Key words:Adolescent, Quality of life, Orthodontic treatment, Fixed appliance.

Sex differences in high-risk health behaviors among school-going adolescents in Yazd, Iran; a cross-sectional study

Objective

Adolescents are exposed to a wide range of high-risk health behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the high-risk health behaviors of adolescents in an Iranian adolescent population and gender differences.

Method

This cross-sectional descriptive study recruited high school students in Yazd city in center of Iran. Schools were randomly selected. In each school, all selected classes were included. Sampling in each class was census. The study investigated self-reported high-risk health behaviors. Students completed the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), an anonymous, validated questionnaire.

Results

2420 students participated in this study (52.5% male). The age range was 12-19 years. Daily consumption of ≥1 serving of fruit and vegetables per day was reported by 77.4% and 49.5% of respondents, respectively. Adequate physical activity was reported by only 18.4% of adolescents, and significantly less frequently by girls than boys (p < 0.001). 11.8% were current smokers (M/F ratio: 2.6), and 20.5% (M/F ratio: 1.5) were ever used hookah. The prevalence of ever alcohol and substance abuse was 15.5% and 8.8%, respectively. The prevalence of tobacco and substance use was significantly higher in participants' boys than in girls (p < 0.001). Males were over twice more likely to report frequent fighting in the past 12 months than girls. Overall, girls reported more parental supervision than boys (82.1% vs. 73.4%) and parental monitoring (90.6% vs. 86.8%), while boys reported higher levels of awareness over leisure activities than girls (65.8% vs. 58.4%).

Conclusions

High-risk health behaviors are more common in boys than girls. Health policymakers should use these results in prioritizing and designing health interventions to promote youth health. Further studies are recommended to identify the factors influencing the prevalence of these behaviors.

Individual, familial and country-level factors associated with oral hygiene practices in children: an international survey

BACKGROUND

Maintaining good oral hygiene is key to preventing dental caries and periodontal disease. Children and adolescents with good oral hygiene behaviours are likely to grow into adults with the same behaviours. This study assessed the frequency of using various oral hygiene methods among children and adolescents from different countries and individual, familial and country-level factors associated with the use of these methods.

METHODS

A multi-country online survey collected data from caregivers of children in 2020-21 about children's use of oral hygiene methods including toothbrush, fluoridated toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss and miswak using self-administered, close-ended questions. Adjusted multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between each of the five oral hygiene methods (dependent variables) and the independent factors: sex, age, and history of dental visits (individual factors), mother's education and area of residence (familial factors) as well as country income and region (country-level factors).

RESULTS

A total of 4766 parents/caregivers were included from 20 countries (77.4% Eastern Mediterranean-region and 41.6% lower middle income countries). The most frequent oral hygiene methods were using toothbrush and toothpaste (90% and 60.3%). The use of oral hygiene methods differed by age, sex and history of dental visits as well as mother's education and area of residence (P < 0.05). In addition, children from low income countries had significantly lower odds of using mouthwashes and dental floss than those from high income countries (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31, 0.98 and AOR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12, 0.97) whereas children from the European region had higher odds of using mouthwash (AOR = 2.82, 95% CI 1.27, 6.26) and those from the region of the Americas had higher odds of using dental floss (AOR = 3.84, 95% CI 1.28, 11.52) than those from the Eastern Mediterranean region.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of various oral hygiene methods is associated with individual, familial and country-level factors. Oral health promotion programs should be developed taking into account these influences.

The association of parental involvement with adolescents' well-being in Oman: evidence from the 2015 Global School Health Survey

BACKGROUND

The parent-adolescent relationship plays a key role in adolescent development, including behaviour, physical health, and mental health outcomes. Studies on the parental factors that contribute to an adolescent's dietary habits, exercise, mental health, physical harm and substance use are limited in the Middle East and North Africa region, with none in Oman. This study aims to investigate the association between parental involvement and adolescent well-being in Oman.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from the 2015 Global School Health Survey for Oman was analysed. The dataset consisted of 3468 adolescents. Adolescents reported on their parental involvement (checking to see if they did their homework, understanding their problems, knowing what they are doing in their free time and not going through their things without permission). Parental involvement was scored on a 20-point scale. Associations with the following dependent variables: nutrition, exercise, hygiene, physical harm, bullying, substance use, tobacco use and mental health well-being were done using Spearman's correlations, linear and logistic regressions.

RESULTS

The surveyed population was 48% male, 65% aged 15 to 17 years old and 5% reported that they "most of the time or always" went hungry. Parental involvement was positively correlated with each of the dependent variables. Adolescents with higher parental involvement had significantly higher odds of good nutrition (1.391), hygiene (1.823) and exercise (1.531) and lower odds of physical harm (0.648), being bullied (0.628), poor mental health (0.415), tobacco use (0.496) and substance use (0.229).

CONCLUSIONS

Parental involvement plays a positive role in all aspects of adolescents' well-being in Oman. Awareness campaigns and interventions aimed to help improve the well-being of adolescents should incorporate such positive role in their designs.

Toothbrushing and related factors among high school students in the Southeast of Iran: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Dental caries is one of the most common problems in student, and tooth brushing at least twice a day is one of the preventive measures of dental caries. This study aimed to determine the frequency of daily brushing and its related factors among high school students in the southeast of Iran based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 2045 high school students of 13-15 years from urban areas of Zahedan in the southeast of Iran with multistage random sampling were selected. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess demographic background, psychosocial constructs of the HAPA and daily brushing frequency. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of daily brushing.

RESULTS

Only 18% of participants reported tooth brushing at least twice a day, which is the desired brushing behaviour. Multivariate regression showed that increased odds of daily brushing associated with gender (OR = 2.38, 95% CI 1.84-3.08), mother education (OR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.62-3.18), father job (OR = 2.24, 95% CI 1.20-4.19), task self-efficacy (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.08-1.42), action planning (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.19) and maintenance self-efficacy (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.13- 1.27).

CONCLUSION

The brushing behaviour of students needs to be taken seriously in Zahedan. Motivational and volitional constructs of the HAPA include task self-efficacy, action planning, and maintenance self-efficacy could be considered in intervention programmes targeting increase adolescent brushing.