Knowlegde, attitude and behavior regarding oral health among children and adolescents, in Vietnam and Sweden : A literature review

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Vietnam, being a developing country does not have the same economic means to put into dental care as a country like Sweden. Knowledge, attitude and behavior are determining factors for oral health. The AIM of this literature study´s was therefore to evaluate knowledge, attitude and behavior regarding oral health among children and adolescents, in Vietnam and Sweden. METHOD:A literature review was made using the databases DOSS, MEDLINE and CINAHL. Twelve articles were included for the review. RESULTS: Bleeding gum was known, by one-third of the Vietnamese children and adolescents, to be a clinical sign of gingivitis. In Sweden the knowledge varied between 75-83%. In both Vietnam and Sweden, shiny and white teeth were mentioned to be important. The frequency of toothbrushing twice a day or more was reported from 40% to 68% among the participants in Vietnam. In Sweden, it varied from 73% to 82%. The highest percentage of children who consumed sweets daily or more frequent was 59,7% in Vietnam respectively 2-6% in Sweden. CONCLUSION: Knowledge about oral health was lacking and behavior could be seen to be inadequate. The attitude towards oral health is more focused on appearance than on the aspect of health.