J Korean Acad Oral Health.  2017 Sep;41(3):214-221. 10.11149/jkaoh.2017.41.3.214.

Development of oral health literacy assessment tool for fifth and sixth grade elementary school students

• Hong J
• Shin Y
• Chang KW

• KMID: 2392441
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11149/jkaoh.2017.41.3.214

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to develop and appraise an oral health literacy assessment tool for upper elementary school students.
METHODS
Twenty-eight preliminary assessment items were developed on the basis of various types of oral health education literature for children. They contained verbal and functional sections and they were classified into 2 cognitive processes (literal and inferential). The questionnaires were analyzed using the testAn v.1.0 program for identified Cronbach's α, item discrimination, and difficulty through classical test theory. A final evaluation tool was developed and selected by conducting three surveys and 20 items.
RESULTS
The final survey was completed by 132 fifth and sixth grade elementary school students in Seoul. The Cronbach's α value, item discrimination, and difficulty were .71, .38, and .75, respectively. The mean score for oral health literacy of children was 14.9 (±3.2, theoretical range: 0-20, 75% correct answers).
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that this tool could be relied on to help determine the level of oral health literacy in children and in preparing appropriate oral health education programs for children.

Keyword

Children; Oral health literacy; Tool development

MeSH Terms

Child
Discrimination (Psychology)
Education
Humans
Literacy*
Oral Health*
Seoul

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Flow chart for tool development.

Reference

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