Implementation and preliminary educational outcomes of a schoolbased peer-led oral health program in primary school children: A Pilot Study

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ABSTRACT

Aim

This pilot study aimed to describe the implementation of a school-based peer-led oral health education program in primary school children and to explore its feasibility and preliminary educational outcomes. The program was implemented in an international primary school and involved third- and fourth-grade students aged 7-9 years. After parental informed consent was obtained, baseline assessments were performed using questionnaires investigating oral health knowledge, oral hygiene habits, dietary behaviors, and previous dental experiences. Plaque-disclosing tablets were also used as a visual awareness tool. Fourth-grade students received a 3-hour training session delivered by a dental hygienist and subsequently conducted peer-led educational activities for third-grade students through five interactive learning stations. Follow-up assessments were carried out approximately 2 weeks and 5 months after the intervention. All educational materials were independently produced and designed to be easily reproducible in school settings. At the 5-month follow-up, most participants showed an improvement in oral health knowledge compared with baseline. Overall, 87.5% of children improved their knowledge scores, 75% reported improvements in oral hygiene and dietary habits, and 59.4% showed improvement in a derived home oral hygiene score based on questionnaire responses. In addition, the proportion of children reporting no gingival bleeding increased compared with baseline. Although limited by the small sample size, the single-school setting, the lack of a control group, and the reliance on questionnaire-based outcomes, this pilot study suggests that a peer-led school-based oral health program is feasible and may support improvements in children’s oral health knowledge and self-reported habits. Larger controlled studies are needed to evaluate effectiveness and long-term sustainability.

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