Effectiveness of Health Education Using Animation Compared to Traditional Education Methods on Health Knowledge and Behavior and Periodontal Indices of 13-15 Years Old Students from Selected Schools in Sari City

Utilizing engaging techniques, such as animation, to educate adolescents about oral health can significantly impact their knowledge and behavior, resulting in the prevention of periodontal diseases. The current study aimed to compare the effectiveness of health education utilizing animation vs traditional education methods in improving adolescents' attitudes, behavior, and periodontal markers.

In this interventional study, 371 students aged 13 to 15 were randomly selected by cluster sampling and divided into two groups: control (187 students) and intervention (184 students). Questionnaires and clinical examinations of the Gingival Index (GI), Plaque Index (PI), and Sulcus Bleeding Index (SBI) were completed before and four weeks following the intervention, and the data were entered into the SPSS software (v. 23). The independent t-test and covariance analysis were used to analyze the data, and P<0.05 was considered significant.

After the intervention, the average scores of knowledge, behavior, GI, PI, and SBI indices were changed from 6.27, 5.90, 1.10, 0.85, and 0.31 to 7.53, 7.08, 0.73, 0.53, and 0.21, respectively. All indices in the control group also improved; however, after the intervention, a significant difference was recorded between the animation group and the control group in all indices, except health behavior (P<0.05).

Oral health education through animation is a novel and effective approach that can be more appealing to adolescents and beneficial in reducing periodontal diseases in young patients.