Intervention study on the impact of “Oral Preventive Medicine” course on oral health literacy among undergraduate preventive medicine students_West China Medical Journal

Authors：

HE Libang ¹ , TAO Yunfeng ² , LIU Shuang ³ , SHAO Meiying ³ ,  XU Jue ³

1. Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China School of Stomatology / West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P. R. China;
2. West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P. R. China;
3. Department of Stomatology, West China School of Public Health / West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P. R. China;

Corresponding author：

XU Jue, Email: xujue1212@qq.com

Keywords：

Oral health literacy; oral preventive medicine; curriculum practice; teaching reform

DOI：

10.7507/1002-0179.202503184

Video：

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Objective To evaluate the changes in oral health knowledge, behavior and attitude of undergraduate students majoring in preventive medicine before and after the course “Oral Preventive Medicine”, and to provide empirical evidence for the teaching reform of preventive medicine undergraduate programs, thereby enhancing teaching effectiveness and the significance of the course. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among the undergraduate students majoring in preventive medicine at the West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University in 2024, before and after the compulsory course “Oral Preventive Medicine”. Results A total of 124 undergraduate students majoring in preventive medicine were surveyed. After the course, undergraduate students majoring in preventive medicine had changed their oral related knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes. The correctness of the answers and the usage rate of Bass brushing technique were both increased; The self-evaluation of oral health status (χ²=5.017, P=0.025) and brushing effect (χ²=22.200, P<0.001) were both improved; The perceived benefits of brushing (t=2.515, P=0.013) and behavioral intention to brush teeth (t=5.381, P<0.001) were both improved, while the perceived barriers to brushing was reduced (t=−3.999, P<0.001). Conclusions The course “Oral Preventive Medicine” effectively enhanced the oral health literacy of undergraduate students majoring in preventive medicine, confirming its practical value in undergraduate teaching reform. It provides an important reference for optimizing the curriculum system of preventive medicine, has positive significance for cultivating public health talents with comprehensive health literacy.

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24.	汪玲, 邹和建, 熊思东, 等. 国外医学门类学科专业设置及其启示. 中华医学教育杂志, 2006, 26(4): 90-93.
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1. Fiorillo L. Oral health: the first step to well-being. Medicina (Kaunas), 2019, 55(10): 676.
2. Hajishengallis G, Chavakis T. Local and systemic mechanisms linking periodontal disease and inflammatory comorbidities. Nat Rev Immunol. 2021, 21(7): 426-440.
3. GBD 2021 diseases and injuries collaborators. Global incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet, 2024, 403(10440): 2133-2161.
4. Jiao J, Jing W, Si Y, et al. The prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in Mainland China: data from the fourth national oral health survey (2015-2016). J Clin Periodontol, 2021, 48(2): 168-179.
5. Denis F, Clement C. Oral health: a major global public health concern. J Clin Med, 2025, 14(12): 4101.
6. 徐琪, 赵春琰, 张含吟, 等. 医防融合视角下公共卫生人才队伍建设研究. 中国农村卫生事业管理, 2025, 45(1): 60-63.
7. 赵莉, 刘毅, 马骁, 等. 预防医学专业本科人才培养与课程分析——以四川大学等预防医学专业为例. 中国大学教学, 2017(11): 34-38.
8. Wang Y, Zhu J, Xu Z, et al. Social support, oral health knowledge, attitudes, practice, self-efficacy and oral health-related quality of life in Chinese college students. Sci Rep, 2023, 13(1): 12320.
9. BenGhasheer HF, Saub R. Relationships of acculturative stress, perceived stress, and social support with oral health-related quality of life among international students in Malaysia: a structural equation modelling. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent, 2020, 10(4): 520-531.
10. Hashemi ZS, Khorsandi M, Shamsi M, et al. Effect combined learning on oral health self-efficacy and self-care behaviors of students: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Oral Health. 2021, 21(1): 342.
11. 苏涛, 朱玥, 汪张毅, 等. 计划行为理论在口腔健康行为中应用的研究进展. 护理研究, 2024, 38(12): 2194-2198.
12. Rodakowska E, Kierklo A, Jamiołkowski J. Self-reported oral health behaviour among scandinavian and polish medical students studying in Poland. Cent Eur J Public Health, 2016, 24(1): 68-75.
13. Vaezipour Z, Gharlipour ZG, Mohebi S, et al. Effect of education on promoting preventive behaviors of oral and dental problems: applying health belief model. Health Educ Health Promot, 2018, 6(4): 135-141.
14. Moore J, Bond K, Turner LW. Reducing chronic disease risk through positive oral health practices: a systematic review of school-based dental health programs. Am J Health Educ, 2022, 53(3): 133-141.
15. Oveisi S, Zahedifar F, Atashgar E, et al. Prediction of dental caries preventive behaviors using health belief model (HBM). Health Educ Health Promot, 2019, 7(3): 105-109.
16. Mohammadkhah F, Ramezankhani A, Atashpoosh A, et al. Effect of training based on health belief model and behavioral intention on improving dental and oral self-care behavior in 9-12-year-old Iranian female students. BMC Oral Health, 2022, 22(1): 515.
17. Kazemi Z, Shojaeezadeh D, Jalili Z. The effect of educational interventions based on health belief model (HBM) on puberty health behaviors in Tehran’s female elementary students, 2019. Iran J Health Educ Health Promot, 2020, 8(2): 142-159.
18. Wu T, Li L. Evolution of public health education in China. Am J Public Health, 2017, 107(12): 1893-1895.
19. 龚政. 综合大学预防医学专业课程体系与教学模式改革研究. 苏州: 苏州大学, 2005.
20. 王晨, 王晓莉, 蔡景一. 某高校预防医学专业课程设置状况分析. 中华医学教育杂志, 2017, 37(3): 371-375.
21. 石慧峰, 王晨, 蔡景一, 等. 以目标为导向的预防医学专业课程体系研究. 中华预防医学杂志, 2018, 52(3): 318-321.
22. 王宏, 邱景富, 何俊琳, 等. 预防医学专业课程体系改革初探. 中华医学教育探索杂志, 2011, 10(2): 227-230.
23. 章和平, 陈作良, 何群. 口腔预防需求状况分析及对策——谈中等口腔预防医学教育改革. 卫生职业教育, 2001(4): 25-26.
24. 汪玲, 邹和建, 熊思东, 等. 国外医学门类学科专业设置及其启示. 中华医学教育杂志, 2006, 26(4): 90-93.
25. Zhou X, Xu X, Li J, et al. Oral health in China: from vision to action. Int J Oral Sci, 2018, 10(1): 1.

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