Journal List > J Korean Acad Oral Health > v.42(1) > 1122188

Park, Kim, Ju, Lee, Oh, and Lee: School loss days due to dental diseases among adolescents

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the lost school days due to dental diseases among adolescents and to assess their oral health in relation to their socio-demographic characteristics.

Methods

A total of 881 adolescents (middle school: 453, high school: 428) were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of questions relating to the subject's socio-demographic characteristics and lost school days due to dental diseases. The lost school days due to dental diseases included absence and early leave. The differences in the lost school days by socio-demographic characteristics were analyzed by chi-square test and t-test.

Results

In the past year, 2% of adolescents were absent from school (approximately 2 days of absence), 7.6% left school early (about 3 days of early leave), and 8.3% were absent from school or left school early (about 4 days of absence and early leave) because of dental diseases. The most common reason for absence from school was dental caries (31.8%), followed by malocclusion (9.3%), periodontal disease (7%), and maxillofacial trauma (2.3%). Dental caries was the most common reason (18%) for early leave, followed by malocclusion (8.8%), maxillofacial trauma (2.6%), and periodontal disease (1.8%). Absence from school was higher when the educational background of the respondent's father was middle-school graduate or lower (5.6%: middle-school graduates or lower, 1.6%: high-school graduates, 1.8%: college graduates or higher). High school students with dental diseases (11.7%) were absent or went on early leave to a greater extent than middle school students (5.1%).

Conclusions

To reduce lost school days due to dental diseases among adolescents, different strategies are required including prevention and early treatment of dental caries and avoidance of maxillofacial trauma.

References

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Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of subjects Unit : N (%)
Characteristics Classification N (%)
School region City 310 (35.2)
Rural area 571 (64.8)
Total 881 (100.0)
School Middle school 453 (51.4)
High school 428 (48.6)
Total 881 (100.0)
Sex Male 427 (48.5)
Female 454 (51.5)
Total 881 (100.0)
Residence Dong 428 (48.6)
Eup/Myeon 453 (51.4)
Total 881 (100.0)
Father’s level of education ≤Middle school 89 (10.4)
High school 432 (50.3)
≥College 338 (39.3)
Total 859 (100.0)
Mother’s level of education ≤Middle school 79 (9.3)
High school 471 (55.7)
≥College 296 (35.0)
Total 846 (100.0)
Monthly income (Unit : 10,000 won) ≤200 234 (28.9)
200-299 193 (23.8)
300-399 166 (20.5)
≥400 217 (26.8)
Total 810 (100.0)
Table 2.
School loss due to oral disease among adolescents
Classification Total
Middle school student
High school student
Rate Days (M±SD) Rate Days (M±SD) Rate Days (M±SD)
Annual absence from school due to oral disease 2.0% 1.83±1.26 1.5% 1.40±0.89 2.6% 2.14±1.46
Annual early leave from school due to oral disease 7.6% 2.96±4.58 4.4*% 3.35±6.99 11.0*% 2.78±3.00
Annual absence or early leave from school due to oral disease 8.3% 3.67±2.53 5.1% 2.80±1.78 11.7% 4.16±3.12

*P<0.05.

Table 3.
Reason of school loss due to oral disease among adolescents* Unit : %
Classification Dental caries Periodontal disease Malocclusion Maxillofacial trauma
Reason of absence from school due to oral disease 12.4% 1.0% 5.0% 1.0%
Reason of annual absence from school due to oral disease 31.8% 7.0% 9.3% 2.3%
Reason of annual early leave from school due to oral disease 18.0% 1.8% 8.8% 2.6%

*Plural response.

Percentage expressed experience of school loss due to oral disease.

Table 4.
School loss due to oral disease according to demographic characteristics of subjects among adolescents
Classification Annual absence
Annual early leave
Annual absence or early leave
Rate Days (M±SD) Rate Days (M±SD) Rate Days (M±SD)
Sex
Male 1.9% 1.00±0.00 6.8% 1.77±1.34 7.7% 2.00±0.00
Female 2.2% 2.25±1.38 8.4% 3.78±5.74 8.8% 4.50±2.77
School
Middle school 1.5% 1.40±0.89 4.4%* 3.35±6.99 5.1%* 2.80±1.78
High school 2.6% 2.14±1.46 11.0% 2.78±3.00 11.7% 4.16±3.12
Residence
Dong 1.9% 1.25±0.50 7.5% 2.52±3.13 8.2% 2.50±1.00
Eup/Myeon 2.2% 2.13±1.45 7.7% 3.41±5.70 8.4% 4.17±3.12
Father’s level of education
≤Middle school 5.6%* 1.50±1.00 10.1% 1.50±1.06 11.2% 3.00±1.73
High school 1.6% 1.75±0.95 8.1% 2.46±2.16 8.6% 2.67±1.15
≥College 1.8% 2.25±1.89 5.9% 4.62±7.76 6.9% 4.67±4.61
Mother’s level of education
≤Middle school 2.5% 1.00±0.00 6.3% 3.75±3.77 7.6% 2.00±0.00
High school 2.5% 2.25±1.38 9.1% 2.06±1.53 9.8% 4.50±2.77
≥College 1.4% 1.00±0.00 5.1% 5.31±8.56 5.7% 2.00±0.00
Monthly income
<200 3.0% 1.50±0.83 6.8% 2.08±2.25 7.7% 3.00±1.41
200-299 2.1% 2.33±2.30 9.3% 2.71±1.93 9.3% 4.67±4.61
300-399 0.0% 0±0.0 5.4% 5.71±10.73 5.4% 5.71±10.73
≥400 1.8% 1.00±0.00 7.4% 3.21±4.19 8.3% 4.21±4.20

*P<0.05.

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