Caries, Cavities, Gingivitis, Tooth Decay
Conditions
Keywords
video games, oral health, social cognitive theory, behavior change, randomized trial, growth modeling, minority, gender
Brief summary
This study investigated if computer games can be effective at changing the way children take care of their teeth. We a museum exhibit with 3D virtual reality games called Attack of the S. Mutans! Our hypothesis was that children who played the games and visited the exhibit would show improved attitudes about oral health, which would translate into improved brushing and self-care habits. In this randomized controlled study with school children aged 8-12, we compared the outcomes for three groups: Group 1) Visited Attack of the S. Mutans!; Group 2) Experienced a hands-on classroom presentation about virtual reality being used for healthcare; Group 3) Received no-treatment.
Interventions
OTHERAttack of the S. Mutans
A research assistant led groups of students through the Attack of the S. Mutans exhibit. All participants played all the games and viewed all the graphical content of the exhibit.
OTHERFollow-up
This group experienced the Attack of the S. Mutans! exhibit and 3 doses of follow-up booster content at a web site.
OTHERSnowWorld
SnowWorld is a 3D first-person-shooter game developed by Firsthand Technology. In SnowWorld, the player shoots snowballs at penguins, polar bears, and other features of a frozen landscape. The game is designed to help burn victims cope with pain, and has no oral health messages.
Sponsors
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
University of Washington
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
8 Years to 12 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
For participation in the study, enrollment criteria are as follows: 1) a dentist's diagnosis of tooth decay, or restorative dental work in the previous year; and 2) Parents or guardians provide usable baseline data, including contact information for follow-up questionnaires.
Exclusion criteria
None
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Efficacy | 8 months post treatment | Follow-up surveys were conducted at 3 points after the intervention for all groups. The survey included questions about the children's attitudes (self-efficacy) toward oral health and taking care of their teeth. Surveys were paper-pencil self-reports from both parents and children. Items were drawn from Morowatisharifabad and Shirazi, (2007) and adapted for ease of understanding for English speaking children. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-care behavior | 8 months post treatment | Separate surveys of children and their parents were conducted at 3 points after the intervention all groups. The survey included questions about how often and how well the children took care of their teeth. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Oral health literacy | 8 months post treatment | we assessed children's oral health knowledge in two ways. First, children reported their overall oral health knowledge using three-point rating scales (=not really to 3=mostly) to respond to six items, including, By brushing and flossing my teeth, I am less susceptible to tooth decay. Negatively worded items were reverse-coded, and the estimated internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of the pre-game survey was.49. Second, children indicated their brushing knowledge using five-point rating scales (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree) to respond to four items, including Tooth brushing gets rid of bad breath. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed