Journal Article

Association of oral health knowledge, self-efficacy and behaviours with oral health-related quality of life in Chinese primary school children: a cross-sectional study

Wang, Ting, Jiang, Nan, Huang, Rui, Zhang, Yuxin, Xu, Xiaoming, Wang, Jiwei, Shi, Hongyan, Wang, Jingya, Zhao, Jie, Liu, Yongyi

2022

Overview

ObjectiveAchieving good oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) is of particular concern in children. The inter-relations among oral health knowledge, self-efficacy, behaviours and OHRQOL in children groups remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the inter-relations between these oral health behaviour-related factors and OHRQOL in primary school children.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 651 children in grades 2 and 3 were recruited in October 2020 from two primary schools in Minhang District, Shanghai, China. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires, consisting of demographic characteristics, oral health knowledge, self-efficacy, oral health behaviours and OHRQOL. Pearson’s correlation analyses were used to analyse the relationship between study variables. Structural equation models were used to test the inter-relations between OHRQOL and oral health behaviour-related factors.ResultsFour hypothetical structural equation models were tested and one of them was selected as the most appropriate model, which explained 15.0% of the variance in OHRQOL. This selected model showed that oral health behaviours were directly related to OHRQOL. Oral health knowledge was indirectly associated with OHRQOL through both self-efficacy and oral health behaviours. Self-efficacy was directly associated with OHRQOL or was indirectly associated with OHRQOL through oral health behaviours.ConclusionThis study revealed a pathway of association between children’s oral health knowledge and their OHRQOL, in which children’s oral health self-efficacy and behaviours had indirect effects. This provides a basis for understanding the mechanism of oral health promotion interventions to improve children’s OHRQOL and helps to identify direct or indirect intervention targets.

• Publisher: British Medical Journal Publishing Group,BMJ Publishing Group LTD,BMJ Publishing Group
• Subject: Bias / Child / China / community child health / Cross-Sectional Studies / Dental care / Dental Caries / Dentistry and Oral Medicine / East Asian People / Elementary schools / Health behavior / Health care / Health education / Humans / Knowledge / Oral diseases / Oral Health / Oral hygiene / oral medicine / Public health / Quality of Life / Questionnaires / Sample size / Schools / Self Efficacy / Sociodemographics / Students / Surveys and Questionnaires / Teeth