earticle

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Objectives : Because elementary school children are sensitive and prevalent to dental caries, oral health care program for the elementary school children (ESOHCP) should be met the first priority for the national oral health care program. This study was performed to proposed the guidelines for executing the efficient ESOHCP through the evaluation of present oral health care and education status based on the attitudes and opinions of health teachers. Methods : Subjects were 181 health teachers those are a part of the total 273 elementary school health teachers in Busan. From April to June 2001, questionnaire survey on the teacher's attitude and opinion, present status of oral health care and education in their own school was done. Data was analyzed by -test, t-test, ANOVA using SAS (ver 6.21) program. Results : Mean age of the teachers was 40 years (24~58 years) and mean scale of the subject school was 32 classes (5~58 classes). Above 90% of them agreed with the necessity and importance of ESOHCP, but actual level of concerning was lower. They gained the informations about oral health mainly from media (33%), PC net (26%), academic society (25%), and more used internet (p=0.012) in younger generation. Though most of them (96%) had a specified school dentist, only 58% had the experience of periodic oral health examinations in their own school. The major experienced ESOHCP was fluoride brushing and contest to choose the best healthy teeth. Oral health education given by the teachers was not professional but their own. About half (42%) of the teachers had never taken education during last one year. Major education materials were VTR tape (79%), teeth model (64%), CD (55%), booklet (50%), etc., and the teachers' preference was also VTR tape (43%) and CD (41%). When they need education materials, they frequently request to dentist's association (36%), academic society (35%), but rarely to dental clinics or dentists (6%). They prefer that two times (46%) of annual oral health education, with the contents of regular brushing (53%), but lower regular visit to clinics (13%). The interest to oral health care (p=0.016) increased with teacher's age. And, they agreed regular students education in case of higher interest(p=0.044). Intention about join in the model school program was decreased with scale of school (p=0.002). Conclusions : This result showed that the present status of ESOHCP is still insufficient. It considered that the health teachers' interest and role is most important for the maintenance and success of ESOHCP. The professional and efficient education program would be focused on the health teachers to induce drive on ESOHCP.