Gender Sensitivity and Gender Equality Consciousness of Dental Hygiene Students / 치위생과학회지

Background@#This study was conducted to identify the level of gender sensitivity and gender equality consciousness among dental hygiene students and to confirm the necessity of gender equality programs in the curriculum. @*Methods@#A self-report questionnaire was conducted with some dental hygiene students using the Gender Sensitivity tool and Korean Gender Egalitarianism Scale for Adolescents (KGES-A). @*Results@#First, the gender equality consciousness of the students who took women’s studies was high in the areas of educational life and socio-cultural life, and that of the subjects of grandparent families and Catholic was found to be high in the domestic life area. Second, the gender sensitivity of the subjects who took women’s studies was found to be high in all sub-areas. In addition, the gender sensitivity of females was higher in the areas of sexual identity, non-violence, and self-reflection than that of males. That of 4-year college students was higher in the areas of sexual identity, openness to gender roles, and non-violence than that of 3-year college students. In addition, the gender sensitivity of Catholic students was high in the areas of sexual identity and openness to gender roles. Third, gender equality consciousness was found to have an effect depending on whether subjects took women’s studies, family type, family type, and religion, and gender sensitivity was found to have an effect depending on whether subjects took women’s studies or gender. @*Conclusion@#Since dental hygienist is a profession that targets humans, education that can instill equal awareness and values of humans is important. To inspire gender sensitivity and gender equality consciousness in a prospective professional, it is necessary to conduct programs and education related to gender intelligence within dental hygiene curriculum.

Correlation between oral health behaviors and problematic experiences associated with smartphone use in adolescents / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the correlation between oral health behaviors and problematic experiences associated with smartphone use in adolescents. METHODS: Raw data from the 13th National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were used. The data were analyzed using a composite sample-planning file. Statistical analysis was performed using PASW Statistics 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between family conflicts due to the use of smartphones and brushing teeth after lunch and twice a day. Additionally, there was a negative correlation between peer conflict experiences due to the use of smartphone and brushing teeth twice a day. Academic difficulties of adolescents due to the use of smartphone were negatively correlated with using supplementary oral hygiene devices and brushing teeth twice a day. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the above results, we confirmed that problematic experiences associated with the use of smartphone are correlated with oral health behaviors. Therefore, it is necessary to plan ways to reduce the excessive use of smart phones in adolescents. In addition, it is necessary to develop an efficient tooth-brushing management system that incorporates the use of smartphones or modern devices.

The effects of job characteristics and non-regular work on the toothbrushing habit and oral check-up in Korean worker: using data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KAHANES, 2016) / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of job characteristics and non-regular work on the toothbrushing habit and oral check-up in Korean worker.METHODS: This study was approved for the use of raw data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KAHANES, 2016). The raw data was analyzed by complex sampling analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 (Chicago, IL, USA). Statistical significance was determined as P < 0.05.RESULTS: The non-regular workers had lower rate of toothbrushing more than twice a day, toothbrushing after lunch, and oral check-up than regular workers. Compared to non-regular workers, the odds ratio of toothbrushing and oral check-up at regular workers increased by 1,464 and 1,717 times, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to find specific directions to expand the oral check-up program so that all workers, including non-regular workers and part-time workers.

Oral health behaviors of Korean male workers and related factors / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral health behaviors of Korean male workers and analyze the variables affecting oral health behavior. METHODS: This study used data from the 2014 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES), from which 1,341 male workers who answered the questionnaires were selected. The data were analyzed by chi-squared test and logistic regression using PASW Statistics 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), and 95% confidence intervals were computed. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between oral health behaviors and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Oral health behaviors varied according to the male worker's job. Brushing teeth two or more times a day varied with levels of stress. The prevalence of people who use supplementary oral hygiene devices was 49.5%. It was increased in male workers with a spouse or high educational level (P<0.05). In addition, office workers were more likely than laborers (P<0.05) to use a supplementary oral hygiene device. The prevalence of people who brush their teeth before sleep was 41.8%. Young male workers (20-39 years old) were more likely to brush their teeth before sleep than senior workers (≥60 years old) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to prepare a plan to promote an interest in dental hygiene in laborers and those who work in the agricultural and fishing industries. Oral health education, oral health programs, campaigns, oral check-up systems, and improvements in working environments are needed to improve the oral health behaviors of male workers.

Oral health literacy of mothers belonging to multi-cultural families in Gangneung City: a case study / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the oral health literacy level of mothers in multi-cultural families and promote their oral health. METHODS: Participants were 46 mothers belonging to multi-cultural families who participated in the Oral health promotion program for multi-cultural families in Gangneung. For measurement of oral health literacy, 30 subjects were analyzed. Six pre-trained investigators conducted an interview with the mothers. Thirty-six mothers belonging to general families in Gangneung were included, and 30 subjects were analyzed. The Oral Health Literacy Instrument for Korean Children's Caregiver was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS: The mean oral health literacy score for mothers from multi-cultural families was 10.83 out of 22.0, which was lower than the score for mothers from general families (P<0.05). The percentage of mothers from multi-cultural families whose oral health literacy was inadequate was 63.3%. Oral health literacy scores were significantly different by Korean fluency level (P<0.05). The correlation between Korean communication level and reading comprehension score was significant (P<0.01). The correlation between Korean communication level and total oral health literacy score was also significant (P<0.05). Finally, there was a significant correlation between oral health knowledge and reading comprehension (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The oral health literacy score for mothers from multi-cultural families was lower than that for mother belonging to general families, and 63.3% had inadequate knowledge. Oral health professionals should use easy terms and consider the Korean communication capacity of mothers in their professional service.