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Oral Health Education through Social Media Influencers: A Child-centered Experimental Study
1Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Annals of African Medicine
|March 2, 2026
Summary
Social media influencers effectively improved children's oral hygiene knowledge and practices. This digital strategy enhanced preventive dental behavior in pediatric settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Digital Health Education
- Public Health Communication
Background:
- Innovative oral health education (OHE) methods are crucial for promoting preventive dental behaviors in children.
- Social media influencers are increasingly recognized for their potential to shape children's attitudes and behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of OHE delivered by social media influencers.
- To assess improvements in oral hygiene knowledge and practices among children aged 8-12 years.
Main Methods:
- A parallel-group experimental study involving 100 children (50 intervention, 50 control) in urban schools.
- Intervention group received 4 weeks of OHE videos from a child-friendly social media influencer.
- Knowledge assessed via questionnaire; oral hygiene status measured using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index-Score (OHI-S).
Main Results:
- The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in oral health knowledge scores (P < 0.001).
- Improved oral hygiene outcomes were observed, with OHI-S scores decreasing from 2.4 to 1.2 in the intervention group.
- The control group showed only minimal changes in knowledge and hygiene.
Conclusions:
- OHE delivered via social media influencers is effective in enhancing children's oral hygiene knowledge and practices.
- Digital strategies, like influencer-led education, can supplement traditional health education in pediatric care.
- This approach offers a promising avenue for improving children's oral health outcomes.
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