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Future Elementary Schoolteachers’Knowledge and Opinions about Oral Health and Community Programs
Author(s) -
Glasrud Patricia H.,
Frazier P. Jean
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1988.tb03168.x
Subject(s) - oral health , health promotion , public health , medicine , medical education , health education , promotion (chess) , population , nursing , psychology , family medicine , environmental health , political science , politics , law
Dental public health practitioners can play a critical role in assuring that elementary schoolteachers have current, scientifically accurate oral health information upon which to base decisions on behalf of the children they teach. Teachers traditionally have educated children about oral health and often participate in school‐based prevention programs. This project examined the knowledge and opinions about oral health and community programs, and the perceived future roles and responsibilities in school‐based preventive oral health programs, of 313 elementary education majors enrolled at the University of Minnesota. Descriptive results indicate that these future teachers were ill informed and held inconsistent opinions about basic concepts and information related to oral health and oral health promotion. Findings suggest the need for greater public health efforts directed toward improving oral health knowledge and opinions of this influential population about effective community oral health programs.