Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Chinese adults

Only recently have behavioral aspects been taken into consideration in oral health studies in China; thus, relevant information on perceptions in adul t Chinese about oral health care is inadequate. In 1996-97, a large-scale o ral epidemiological study was conducted in Southern China. Among its object ives were to describe the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices o f the urban and rural adults living in Southern China and to analyze the in fluence of selected demographic and socio-economic factors. From 8 urban an d 8 rural communities in Guangdong Province, 1573 35- to 44-year-olds and 1 515 65- to 74-year-olds were sampled. Specially trained interviewers from t he staff of local government or hospitals conducted face-to-face structured interviews. Almost all of the middle-aged and more than 90% of the dentate elderly surveyed claimed that they brushed their teeth every day and used toothpaste during toothbrushing, but awareness about fluoride content was l acking. The respondents had poor oral health knowledge but positive attitud es toward oral health, providing a basis for more community-based oral heal th education programs, especially targeting adults who are less-well-educat ed and have fewer socio-economic advantages.