[A nationwide survey for implementation of health Japan 21 dental health promotion programs in local municipalities].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to access the present situation regarding implementation of dental health promotion activities of Health Japan 21 in municipalities.


METHODS
Of 1,446 local municipalities that had established local plans for the Health Japan 21 project in 2003, 953 were eligible because these had not been consolidated nor were plan had for consolidation by March 2006. A questionnaire form was mailed to the municipalities in July 2005 with items for assessment of the present status, setting goals for the project, and expectations regarding accomplishment of the local project for Health Japan 21.


RESULTS
A total of 788 local municipalities responded by September 2005 (response rate 82.7%). Of them, 638 had already finished development of the local plan. As to the present status, 94% covered dental caries screening for 3 year old children. In contrast, only 25% included screening for adult paradentitis. Two thirds of municipalities set goals for dental health of 3 year old children. However, only had set any goal for the participation rate with regard to periodic dental examinations for school children (6.8%) or the prevalence of advanced paradentitis (16.3%). Proportions of municipalities that expected difficulty in accomplishing the goals were 10.1% for dental caries prevention for 3 year old children, and 30.1% for facilitation of use of dental and periodontal care equipment.


CONCLUSIONS
This nationwide survey revealed dental health programs in municipalities to be relatively well implemented for dental caries prevention, but with low rates for adoption and implementation of the periodontal disease prevention program of Health Japan 21.
Yamaguchi
Megumi
M
Department of Health Sciences, Saitama Prefectural University, Japan.
Kayaba
Kazunori
K
Ojima
Toshiyuki
T
Takaku
Satoru
S
Shinmura
Hiromi
H
Yanagawa
Hiroshi
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D009111:Local Government; D009909:Oral Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires