Sense of coherence (SOC) has been related to oral-health behaviors and oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in observational studies. Now the Journal of Dental Research has published a randomized trial that tested the effect of an intervention to enhance SOC on OHRQoL in children (September 27, 2012).
In this study, 12 primary schools in Thailand were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention comprised seven sessions over two months, focusing on child participation and empowerment. The first four sessions were classroom activities and the last three involved working on healthy school projects.
Trained teachers, who received a one-day course, delivered the intervention. Sociodemographic and clinical data, together with self-report measures of OHRQoL, SOC, and oral health beliefs were obtained from 261 10- to 12-year-olds (133 in the intervention and 128 in the control group).
Data were collected at baseline, two weeks after the intervention, and at a three-month follow-up. Mixed effects models indicated that the intervention increased SOC and improved OHRQoL, together with oral health beliefs and gingival health.
The findings offer experimental evidence that OHRQoL can be influenced by SOC, noted the authors. SOC may also provide an avenue for oral health promotion.
