Do life- or school-satisfaction and self-esteem indicators explain the oral hygiene habits of schoolchildren?
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to ascertain how frequently toothbrushing and flossing are practiced among schoolchildren in Kuwait and whether life- and school-satisfaction and self-esteem indicators are associated with oral hygiene habits. METHODS: A sample of 2312 schoolchildren between 11 and 13 years old filled out a structured questionnaire anonymously in school classrooms during 2002 and 2003. For this study, nationally representative samples of children were drawn from all six governorates of Kuwait. Only government schools were included. The questionnaire of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study was used in this study after it was modified to suit Kuwait. A chi-squared test and logistic regression model were used for analyzing the data. RESULTS: Over half of the pupils reported brushing their teeth more than once a day; girls reported brushing more frequently than boys did. One-fifth of the pupils did not brush their teeth even on a daily basis. The life- an
