Dental health related behaviour of Scottish and English secondary schoolchildren

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the dental health related behaviour of groups of 13-14-year-old English and Scottish schoolchildren, in order to explain the differences in caries experience demonstrated by the 1983 national children's dental health survey. The data-bank of health-reported behaviour of schoolchildren in the United Kingdom held by the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU), Exeter University was used. Seventy-four secondary schools in England and 8 secondary schools in Scotland participated in the study. The information obtained from the questionnaires of 2283 children in England and 259 children in Scotland was examined. The daily intake of sweets, sugary fizzy drinks and a 'sugary' carbohydrate index were analysed from a 24-hour recall dietary record. There was a general consistency between the findings from the SHEU data and the 1983 United Kingdom children dental health survey (Todd & Dodd 1985) with regard to toothbrushing behaviour and dental attendance. Therefore, as dietary information was not gathered in the 1983 survey, exploration of the SHEU data bank allowed a comparison of the dietary habits between Scottish and English schoolchildren. Scottish schoolchildren consumed more sugar-containing items than English schoolchildren. Children from lower social groups in both countries consumed more sugar; however, the major dietary difference between the two countries was not in the mean number of sweets consumed or the daily sugary carbohydrate index, but in the mean number of sugary fizzy drinks consumed.