Background <p>Community pharmacies are expected to play a role in oral health promotion and disease prevention. However, knowledge of oral health and oral-health behaviors among Japanese pharmacy students remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of oral care (OC) and health literacy (HL) among Japanese pharmacy students and to identify factors associated with their preventive dental visits.</p> Methods <p>Pharmacy students at Hoshi University were enrolled. Questions from the Oral Care Ambassador certification textbook were selected to assess knowledge regarding 13 broad domains. HL was assessed using the short version of the European HL Survey Questionnaire. A logistic regression model was constructed using preventive dental visits as the outcome variable.</p> Results <p>The proportion of students with knowledge regarding assistance and home healthcare for OC and dysphagia/rehabilitation was small, and the scores were low on several practical HL items. Students who preventively visited a dentist showed significantly higher rates of dental floss and interdental brush use compared to those who did not.</p> Conclusions <p>This study suggests that pharmacy students before clinical practice may lack knowledge of home healthcare and dysphagia/rehabilitation of OC, and that their practical HL skills in clinical settings are low. These findings may provide insights for addressing challenges in the teaching methods for OC and HL among pharmacy students in the future.</p>

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Knowledge of oral health, health literacy, and oral-health behaviors among pharmacy students in Japan

  • Tomiko Sunaga,
  • Rie Yokota,
  • Tomofumi Watanabe,
  • Wataru Sakurada,
  • Hiroyuki Terakado

摘要

Background

Community pharmacies are expected to play a role in oral health promotion and disease prevention. However, knowledge of oral health and oral-health behaviors among Japanese pharmacy students remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of oral care (OC) and health literacy (HL) among Japanese pharmacy students and to identify factors associated with their preventive dental visits.

Methods

Pharmacy students at Hoshi University were enrolled. Questions from the Oral Care Ambassador certification textbook were selected to assess knowledge regarding 13 broad domains. HL was assessed using the short version of the European HL Survey Questionnaire. A logistic regression model was constructed using preventive dental visits as the outcome variable.

Results

The proportion of students with knowledge regarding assistance and home healthcare for OC and dysphagia/rehabilitation was small, and the scores were low on several practical HL items. Students who preventively visited a dentist showed significantly higher rates of dental floss and interdental brush use compared to those who did not.

Conclusions

This study suggests that pharmacy students before clinical practice may lack knowledge of home healthcare and dysphagia/rehabilitation of OC, and that their practical HL skills in clinical settings are low. These findings may provide insights for addressing challenges in the teaching methods for OC and HL among pharmacy students in the future.