Cross section study: Oral hygiene state (ohi-s) in the school children at late mixed dentition in Libya

Abstract

Aims: The overall aim of this thesis was to collect knowledge and to provide the base line data of oral hygiene state by use of simplified oral hygiene index (OHIS) among school going children (10-12 years) of rural and urban area in Tripoli of Libya.Materials and methods: Total of 504 school children, aged 10 - 12 years, from two public school children in Tripoli of Libya were included to this study. One elementary school selected from rural area and one elementary school selected from urban area, and stratified random sampling was used in each school to distribute the sample to three Groups according to the age, the Group 1 (10 years), Group 2 (11 years) and Group 3 (12 years). The stratified random sampling was also used in each school to distribute the sample according to sex to equal number, with a random selection of boys and girls from each selected elementary school. The final sample was 504, 10-12-year-old school children (252 urban and 252 rural), (252 boys and 252 girls) resident in Tripoli, studying from Grades 4 to 6 in two elementary public schools, each Group contain 84 child, 42 boy and 42 girl. One calibrated dentist scored all subjects for Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). Upon completion, statistical comparison of the study variables by region, sex and age was achieved.Results: In Group 1, the mean values of OHIS scores in the rural Group were higher than the urban Group while in Group 3 the mean values of OHIS scores in the urban Group were higher than the rural Group (p=0,005 and p=0,022). The mean OHI-S score comparison between boys and girls showed that, in the rural Group 3, there was significant difference between the means of OHIS scores in the boys and the girls, in which the mean value of OHIS scores of the boys were higher than the girls (p=0,002). According to the age, the mean value of OHIS scores in the Group 1 was higher than the Group 3 (p=0,006).Conclusion: Overall, Libyan school children had OHI-S scores from fair to good oral hygiene and generally the girls have better OHI-S scores than their male counterparts. The variation in the OHI-S scores of urban and rural children may also be related to socio-economic status or the availability and affordability of toothbrushes.

Aims: The overall aim of this thesis was to collect knowledge and to provide the base line data of oral hygiene state by use of simplified oral hygiene index (OHIS) among school going children (10-12 years) of rural and urban area in Tripoli of Libya.Materials and methods: Total of 504 school children, aged 10 - 12 years, from two public school children in Tripoli of Libya were included to this study. One elementary school selected from rural area and one elementary school selected from urban area, and stratified random sampling was used in each school to distribute the sample to three Groups according to the age, the Group 1 (10 years), Group 2 (11 years) and Group 3 (12 years). The stratified random sampling was also used in each school to distribute the sample according to sex to equal number, with a random selection of boys and girls from each selected elementary school. The final sample was 504, 10-12-year-old school children (252 urban and 252 rural), (252 boys and 252 girls) resident in Tripoli, studying from Grades 4 to 6 in two elementary public schools, each Group contain 84 child, 42 boy and 42 girl. One calibrated dentist scored all subjects for Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). Upon completion, statistical comparison of the study variables by region, sex and age was achieved.Results: In Group 1, the mean values of OHIS scores in the rural Group were higher than the urban Group while in Group 3 the mean values of OHIS scores in the urban Group were higher than the rural Group (p=0,005 and p=0,022). The mean OHI-S score comparison between boys and girls showed that, in the rural Group 3, there was significant difference between the means of OHIS scores in the boys and the girls, in which the mean value of OHIS scores of the boys were higher than the girls (p=0,002). According to the age, the mean value of OHIS scores in the Group 1 was higher than the Group 3 (p=0,006).Conclusion: Overall, Libyan school children had OHI-S scores from fair to good oral hygiene and generally the girls have better OHI-S scores than their male counterparts. The variation in the OHI-S scores of urban and rural children may also be related to socio-economic status or the availability and affordability of toothbrushes.