Associations between Knowledge and Attitude among Oral Health Status and Oral Health Care Behaviors of the 3rd year Secondary School in Wang Wiset District, Trang Province

Abstract

A cross-sectional study survey was conducted and aimed to 1) study knowledge, attitude and dental health care practices and 2) study the relationships of knowledge, attitude and dental health care practices of the third year Secondary School students in Wang Wiset district, Trang province.  The study populations of 393 third year Secondary School students and were sampled for 199 study subjects by Yamane using a systematic sampling method. The study questionnaires and oral examination were developed.  Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics: mean, percentage, standard deviation and chi-square test. The results showed most of subjects had a high level of knowledge accounted for 41.7%. The attitude is very high accounted for 68.3%. The associations between knowledge and attitudes were positively correlated with tooth brushing behaviors (r = 0.222 and r = 0.222, respectively). Knowledge and attitudes were negatively correlated with dental caries (r = 0.315 and r = 0.268, respectively).