Oral Hygiene Behavior among Adolescents in Mongolia: Results from the Global School-based Health Survey 2019

Abstract

Abstract Tooth brushing at least twice a day is a crucial role for the prevention and control of dental caries and periodontal diseases. The aim of the current study was to examine the prevalence of poor oral hygiene (tooth brushing less than two times per day) and to identify the associated factors among adolescents in Mongolia. We analyzed data from the 2019 Mongolian Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted nationwide among 10–18-year-old students. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to assess the correlates of poor oral hygiene. Overall, 35.6% of the adolescents reported to have poor oral hygiene in 2019. Multivariable analysis showed a significant association in the total sample of poor oral hygiene with male gender, poor hand hygiene behaviors including did not wash hand before eating, did not wash hand after toilet and handwashing without soap, being bullied, lack of close friends, smoking, exposure to second-hand smoke, physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. Several factors, including hand hygiene behaviors, mental distress, substance use, and health risk behaviors were found to be associated, which can aid in designing school-based dental health education intervention strategies to help students to develop habits that improve their health.