Center for Public Health, County Council of Skaraborg

Abstract

This study was the result of discussions with the Public Health Authorities in the County Council of Skaraborg on the possibilities of increased commitment of the Dental Services in Public Health, especially among children and adolescents. The aim of the project was to study the tobacco habits among children and adolescents before and after an intervention had been done during one year. The Swedish dental services were very well suited for interviewing children and adolescents, as they a/o. reasons routinely visited the dental services for annual check-ups. In four out of six areas in the County Council of Skaraborg all children and adolescents 11-19 years were interviewed about their tobacco habits at their annual check-up. Two areas were intervention area and two areas were control area. The result was collected through the ordinary dental services statistical channels. An anonymous school survey was conducted during the same period in all the 7th, 8th and 9th grades plus the college classes in Skaraborg on life style issues, including tobacco habits. The result from that study indicates, in all ages, a higher proportion of tobacco users compared with the study from the Dental Services. This poster will present the result from the dental services on tobacco habits and also some of the questions raised when comparing the result after Year One in this study with the school survey An overview of the literature concerning self reported tobacco use is also presented.

Keywords

Adolescents, Dental, Tobacco, Survey, Validity

Institution

Center for Public Health, County Council of Skaraborg

Postaddress

County Council of Skaraborg

Postcode

SE-542 87

City

Mariestad

Country

Sweden

Contact

Åkerberg Örjan

E-mail

orjan.akerberg@skovde.mail.telia.com

Phone

+ 46 501 623 59

Fax

+ 46 501 623 50