Awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by children and their parents in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea after a preventive programme

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to examine awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by children and their parents in Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), after a preventive programme.

Materials and methods: The data were collected in 2013 with self-completed, partly structured questionnaires from 1994 children aged 10 and 13 years and from 200 parents. Association between awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by the children and their parents was evaluated using Chi square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses, children’s oral health habits according to themselves and their parents were analysed using McNemar’s test.

Results: Both children and their parents seemed to be familiar with healthy oral habits, although the awareness was not directly related to the reports of the children’s oral practices. Most of the children reported brushing their teeth at least twice a day, using fluoride toothpaste and drinking water for thirst but frequent sweet snacking was common. Children’s and their parents’ reports were consistent with regard to sweet snacking frequency (p = 0.736) and the main thirst quencher (p = 0.349).

Conclusions: Awareness of healthy oral habits appeared to be good among children and their parents. Unhealthy oral habits seemed to coincide with one another.

Keywords:

• Children
• parents
• healthy oral habits
• preventive programme

Acknowledgements

The fieldwork of this study was performed as part of development cooperation of Fida International, a Finnish NGO, operating in DPRK under the name Finnish Agriculture and Health Rehabilitation Programme (FAHRP). The authors would like to thank Fida International, Dr Hanna Koskela and Mrs Yang Gon Suk, Senior Officer, Korea Education Fund, for their contributions to this research.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributors

Pirkko-Liisa Tarvonen University teacher and PhD Student at Institute of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland.

Kirsi Sipilä Professor at Institute of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland.

Yon Sil Ri Section Chief at Dental Faculty of Pyongyang Medical College, Kim Il Sung University.

Jong Hyon Jang Professor at Dental Faculty of Pyongyang Medical College, Kim Il Sung University.

Jong Hyok Kim Professor at Dental Faculty of Pyongyang Medical College, Kim Il Sung University.

Anna Liisa Suominen Professor at Institute of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland.