Trial reportBMC oral health2025
Effectiveness of a school-based educational intervention on oral health knowledge, attitudes, practices, and self-efficacy among female secondary school students: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Empowered Smiles Through Education and Motivation (e-SEM): A Theory-Driven Digital Oral Health Behaviour Intervention.International dental journal · 2026Article
- Sources of Oral Health Activities Among Croatian University Students-A Pilot Study.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitudes and oral health care practices of children in Tshwane District, South Africa.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices and associated factors among non-dental healthcare professionals in South China: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of Individually Trained Oral Prophylaxis (iTOP) Education on Long-Term Oral Health in Medical and Dental Students: A Two-Year Prospective Cohort Study.Dentistry journal · 2025Article
- Poster Guided Reinforcement Learning technique on sugar intake and oral hygiene knowledge, attitude and practices among adolescents: A cluster randomized controlled trial.Journal of oral biology and craniofacial researchArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionOral health is crucial during adolescence, yet many young individuals engage in suboptimal oral hygiene behaviors, contributing to oral health issues. While genetics may have some influence, lifestyle factors such as diet, preventive care, and oral hygiene practices play a more critical role in the development of dental caries. The World Health Organization recognizes oral health as a lifelong cornerstone of overall well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based educational intervention for improving oral health knowledge, attitudes, practices, and self-efficacy among female secondary school students in Kashan, Iran.
methodsThis randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2023 with 80 female students aged 12 years from two public schools at Kashan. The participants were selected via cluster sampling and randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 40) or the control group (n = 40). Data were collected at baseline, one month postintervention, and three months postintervention via a standardized questionnaire administered to both groups. The intervention consisted of four weekly 90-minute educational sessions led by a dentist and a health education specialist, with a focus on oral health knowledge, attitudes, practices, and self-efficacy. Additionally, the intervention group received a digital educational booklet, while parents were provided with a checklist to monitor their children's tooth brushing and flossing behaviors. The control group did not receive any educational intervention or a checklist for tracking oral hygiene behaviors during the study period. Dental plaque levels were assessed via plaque-disclosing tablets (PDTs) at baseline and three months postintervention. Data analysis was performed via SPSS version 24, which employs the chi-square test, Wilcoxon test, Mann‒Whitney test, and Friedman test.
resultsThere was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in all the measured variables after the intervention (p < 0.001). Postintervention, the intervention group demonstrated significant increases in mean scores for oral health knowledge (from 5.4 to 9.3), attitudes (from 55.6 to 62.1), self-efficacy (from 53.5 to 62.7), and practices (from 28.0 to 33.4) (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the control group (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in all the measured variables after the intervention (p < 0.001). The average score of dental plaque was significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.001). The Wilcoxon test revealed that after the intervention, the test group had improved indicators, and the control group had increased dental plaque scores.
conclusionThe educational intervention effectively enhanced oral health knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and practices among female students. The incorporation of such interventions into school health programs may promote long-term improvements in oral health behaviors among adolescents.
trial registrationClinical Trial Registry (IRCT code: IRCT20180827040889N1), registered on 27/01/2024.
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