The Effect of the Implementation of the Education on the Knowledge and Status of Dental Cleanliness in Elderly in Darul Imarah Aceh Besar District, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Oral health problems are ones that must be considered by the elderly. Dental and oral health in the elderly is essential and closely related to general health. Overcoming this problem needs necessary to optimize the elderly’s ability to maintain dental and oral hygiene by providing information and skills. AIM: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of self-empowerment-based education packages on knowledge and oral hygiene of the elderly in the Darul Imarah district of Aceh Besar. METHODS: This study’s design was a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest design with control group design. This research is located in the village of Darul Imarah District, Aceh Besar. A sample of 80 older adults who were divided into two groups. Each group numbered 40 people. The criteria for this sampling were inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data analysis used univariable, bivariable, and multivariate using paired samples test and independent t-test. RESULTS: The results showed a difference in mean knowledge from post-test I to post-test II (P = 0.002). The results of the multivariate analysis of the knowledge, attitude, and behavior variables on the maintenance of dental and oral hygiene had a significant effect on the periodontal health status of pre-elderly (p = 0.001). The statistical test results showed that there was an effect of self-empowerment-based education on the knowledge of the elderly, p = 0.001. The results showed that there was no difference in knowledge in the control group in the post-test I and post-test 2 with a value of p = 0.72, and there was a difference in knowledge in the intervention group in the post-test I and post-test 2 with a value of p = 0.002. There were differences in dental and oral hygiene in the control group, and there were differences in dental and oral hygiene after being given the intervention with a value of p = 0.003. CONCLUSION: There is a significant effect of providing a self-empowerment-based education package to the elderly on the level of knowledge and oral hygiene status of the elderly in Darul Imarah District, Aceh Besar (p <0.05)