title: Effectiveness of oral health education on knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene status among 12-15-year-old schoolchildren of fishermen of Kutch district, Gujarat, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess the effectiveness of oral health education on oral health knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene status among 12-15-year-old school children of fishermen of Kutch district, Gujarat, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A before-and-after experimental study was conducted among all (n = 205) the 12-15-year-old children from two schools of Bhadreshwar village of Mundra taluka of Kutch district, Gujarat, India from January 2013 to December 2013. At baseline, children were assessed for oral health knowledge, attitude and practices using a self-administered structured questionnaire and oral hygiene was assessed using Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S). Oral health education was provided after baseline assessment, at 3 months and at 6 months. Follow up study was done after 1 year from baseline. Statistical tests applied were Independent t test, paired t test and McNemar test. Level of significance and confidence level were set at 5% and 95%, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean OHI-S scores reduced significantly at 1 year follow up interval. All the questions showed statistically significant improvement in knowledge, attitude and practices except the frequency of change of tooth brush which showed no improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the study reflects the accomplishment of upgrading oral health knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene status of fishermen children through school oral health education programme. Organizing oral health education in high school children of fishermen community could lead to improvement in students' oral hygiene to ultimately enhance their oral health.
authors.forename: Yatish Kumar
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Sanadhya
authors.forename: Jigar P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Thakkar
authors.forename: Darshan Devang
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Divakar
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pareek
authors.forename: Kushpal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rathore
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yousuf
authors.forename: Shravani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganta
authors.forename: Geetika
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobti
authors.forename: Ronak
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maniar
authors.affiliation: kailashasawaudr@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Kailash
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asawa
authors.forename: Mridula
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tak
authors.forename: Shivalingesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamate
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019649:Food Industry; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education*; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education*; D017747:Seafood; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation