Page 18 - JCTR-10-2

Journal of Clinical and Translational Research 2024; 10(2): 112-118

Journal of Clinical and Translational Research

Journal homepage: http://www.jctres.com/en/home

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Comparison between various oral health literacy scales among university

students in Jaipur, India

Poonam Jangid *, Naganandini Sampath , Simpy Amit Mahuli , Amit Vasant Mahuli , Roma Yadav 4
3
2
3
1
1 Department of Research, Shri Sadguru Seva Sangh Trust, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, India, Department of Public Health Dentistry, NIMS Dental
2
College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Jharkhand, India, Department of
4
3
Public Health Dentistry, DJ College of Dental Sciences and Research, Uttar Pradesh, India
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Article history: Background: Oral health literacy (OHL) is a multidimensional concept that encompasses reading,
Received: August 16, 2023 writing, speaking, listening, proper decision-making skills, assessment of OHL level, and comparison
Accepted: December 27, 2023 between scales. Numerous tools are available to measure OHL using a range of indicators.
Published Online: March 19, 2024 Aim: The purpose of this study is to compare three OHL scales, namely, Rapid Estimate of Adult
Literacy in Medicine and Dentistry-20 (REALMD-20), OHL Adults Questionnaire (OHL-AQ), and
Keywords: Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD), among university students in Jaipur, India.
Oral health literacy Methods: A comparative study was conducted among 180 university students from non-medical
Health literacy courses. Students’ literacy was measured using REALMD-20, OHL-AQ, and HeLD. Independent
REALMD-20 sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Pearson’s correlation test were used for
HeLD statistical analysis.
OHL-AQ Results: A weak positive correlation coefficient was obtained between REALMD-20, OHL-AQ, and
Students HeLD. The mean REALMD-20 scores of Groups 1, 2, and 3 were 16.3, 14.98, and 15.8, respectively.
For OHL-AQ, the mean scores obtained for Groups 1, 2, and 3 were 6.77, 7.50, and 6.58, respectively.
*Corresponding author: The mean HeLD scores in Groups 1, 2, and 3 were 104.23, 102.70, and 100.4, respectively. However,
Poonam Jangid the differences between these groups on all three tested scales were not statistically significant.
Department of Research, Shri Sadguru Seva Conclusion: In the present study, a weak positive correlation was observed between REALMD-20,
Sangh Trust, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, OHL-AQ, and HeLD, thereby revealing potential shortcomings in each of these tools.
India. Relevance for Patients: Encouraging patients to articulate their comprehension of their conditions
Email: poonamjangid@ioctn.org and instructions enables health-care providers to identify gaps and enhance OHL, leading to effective
prevention of oral diseases.
© 2024 Author(s). This is an Open-Access
article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial
License, permitting all non-commercial use, 1. Introduction
distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited. Oral health is a fundamental component of overall vitality and well-being. Regrettably,
dental caries and gingivitis often affect students at an early age, with potential long-term
consequences if these oral conditions are neglected [1]. The 20 century witnessed a distinct
th
emphasis on the global importance of health literacy [2], as underscored in a recent report by
the World Health Organization (WHO), which highlights the pivotal role of health literacy
as a primary determinant of health-care outcomes. According to WHO, health literacy
encompasses socio-cognitive skills influencing an individual’s motivation, capacity, and
proficiency in acquiring, comprehending, and applying information essential for advancing
healthcare [3].
Health literacy, a multi-dimensional concept, extends to knowledge about oral diseases in
dentistry and is influenced by an individual’s literacy proficiency, psychosocial interactions,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36922/jctr.23.00100