[[alternative]]The oral hygiene and related knowledge,attitude,and practices (KAP) in institutionalized elderly

[[abstract]]本研究目旨在了解長期機構住民口腔衛生保健之知識、態度與行為，探討其社會人口學、基本健康狀態、口腔概況與口腔衛生保健知識、態度及行為(KAP)之相關性。本研究採斷面式調查方法，量性描述性之測量，立意取樣，選取北區某長期照護機構為研究樣本，以結構式問卷收集資料。研究共收到175 份問卷，本研究分析結果如下：長期照護機構住民口腔衛生保健知識、態度及行為三者互有相關，顯示口腔衛生保健知識得分愈高者，態度愈積極且正向，在行為的執行上也較良好。在口腔概況方面，自覺狀況方面顯示口腔健康狀況不佳，但老年口腔健康評價指數(GOHAI)顯示個案口腔健康狀況尚可。 知識方面之問卷答對率約過半(55.5%)，顯示研究個案知識嚴重不足。口腔衛生保健知識與族群種類、教育程度、職業等級及都市化程度位階相關，且與態度及口腔清潔次數、刷牙時間、牙線或牙線棒的使用、定期更換牙刷及定期看診牙醫等行為顯著相關。態度方面，態度量表單題總平均值為3.6，總平均得分為54.7分，顯示口腔衛生保健態度不夠積極。口腔衛生保健態度與族群種類、教育程度及職業等級相關，且與刷牙時間、牙縫的清潔、牙線或牙線棒的使用、是否定期更換牙刷、是否定期看診牙醫及零食食用的次數等行為均顯著相關。在行為方面，個案口腔清潔活動與方式、口腔清潔用品的使用及牙科就醫等行為之落實性不佳。口腔衛生保健行為與性別、年齡、婚姻狀況、族群種類、教育程度、職業等級及都市化位階程度相關。 本研究結果顯示口腔衛生保健知識、態度及行為三者互為相關，知識愈高，態度愈積極且正向，行為的落實執行也趨向良好。[[abstract]]The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of oral hygiene among the institutionalized elderly. Moreover, the aim was to explore the relationship among their social demography, basic health status, oral status and knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of oral hygiene. The study followed a cross-sectioned design to collect the necessary information through purposive sampling and structured questionnaire interview. 175 qualified subjects were recruited from elder care facilities in northern Taiwan. The results can be summarized as follows：There was significant positive correlation among the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of oral hygiene within the institutionalized elderly. Although self-reported oral status was poor, the average Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) showed the oral health status was fair. In the related knowledge of oral hygiene, around half (55.5%) of the respondents answered correctly, implying that their knowledge was insufficient. Oral hygiene related knowledge could be affected by ethnicity, education, occupation and urbanization levels; and positively correlated with oral hygiene attitude and practicing such as frequency of teeth brushing, time of brushing, usage of floss or floss stick, the frequency of replacing toothbrushes and regular visits at dental clinics.In related attitudes, with a simple mean value around 3.6, and totaling 54.7, it showed that the attitude was not very aggressive. Oral hygiene related attitude was affected by ethnicity, education and occupation levels; and positively correlated with oral hygiene practice such as teeth brushing frequency, brushing time, interdental space cleanness , floss or floss stick usage, the frequency of replacing toothbrushes and regular visits at dental clinics, and frequency of snacks and sweeteners intake.In related practicing, with poor validation approaches, usage of oral cleaning appliances and dentist(s) visit was poor; oral hygiene related practicing was shown to be affected by gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, education, occupation and urbanization levels.The overall impression from this study is a significantly positive correlation amongst knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP). Therefore, a higher score in knowledge would result in a more positive and aggressive attitude, and the practice would also become more satisfactory