Relationship Between the Oral Hygiene and Hand Hygiene Practices of Korean Adolescents: A Study Focused on the 15th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey Conducted in 2019

Abstract

Abstract Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most important measures available to prevent infectious diseases such as COVID-19, and it is recommended that individuals was their hands periodically before and after meals, after using toilets, before preparing food at home, at schools and in public places. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral hygiene and hand hygiene in Korean adolescents. Method: Data from 57,303 adolescents who participated in the 2019 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey were analyzed to determine the relationship between oral hygiene and hand hygiene. Results: According to the results of this study, adolescents who brushed their teeth after lunch were 1.48 times more likely to practice hand washing before lunch than were those who did not brush their teeth after lunch. In addition, the odds ratio adjusted for gender, grade, school type, and residence was found to be 1.87. Conclusions: Oral hygiene practices were found to be related to personal hygiene, as assessed by hand washing, in Korean adolescents. Additional studies are needed to develop ways of improving the hygiene and health of adolescents.