School-based Oral Health Education Program Using Experiential Learning

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of this project was to compare the effectiveness of experiential learning (EL) and traditional lecturing (TL) school-based oral health education on the oral health knowledge, attitude, habits, oral hygiene, gingival health and caries incidence of 10 and 13-year-old Greek children. Thee hundred and fifty children were selected from three areas of Greece. Information on oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviour were obtained using a questionnaire. Dental plaque was recorded using a modified hygiene index, gingivitis was assessed using the simplified gingival index and dental caries was measured by recording the number of Decayed, Missing and Filled teeth (DMFT) using the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) criteria. All children were examined by two calibrated dentists, using a World Health Organisation (WHO) periodontal probe and artificial light. Questionnaires were delivered and clinical examinations were performed at baseline and at 6 and 18 months post-intervention. The EL oral health educational program was implemented by teachers using the program's manual.

Official Title
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School-based Oral Health Education Program Using Experiential Learning or Traditional Lecturing in Children and Adolescents: a Clinical Trial

Conditions
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Caries, Gingivitis

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Experiential learning oral health education


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: 10 and 13 year-old children For the EL group, students were recruited from schools that had teachers previously trained in EL Students recruited for the TL group attended schools of the same geographical location as students in the EL group Exclusion Criteria: Contributory medical history

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 9 Years
Maximum Age: 14 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experiential learning<br>Oral health education using experiential learning (EL) | Behavioral: Experiential learning oral health education<br> <br> |
| Placebo Comparator: Traditional lecturing<br>Oral health education using traditional lecturing (TL) | Behavioral: Experiential learning oral health education<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change from baseline in dental plaque, gingivitis and caries at 6 and 18 months in 350 children | 350 children were clinically examined and dental plaque, gingivitis and caries were recorded using appropriate indexes. 6 and 18 months later, children were re-examined using the same method to test if there was any change on the dental plaque, gingivitis and caries level and if this change differ significantly between the two different oral health education groups (Experiential learning or Traditional Lecturing). | baseline, 6 and 18 months |