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

ABSTRACT

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.