Effect of Interactive Education Using Puzzle Media on Oral Health Maintenance Knowledge among elementary school children

Abstract

Background: Oral and dental health is an important component of schoolchildren’s overall health and can affect their quality of life and learning process. Preliminary data collected from 10 third-grade students at MIN 27 Lambaro, Aceh Besar, showed that most students had dental caries, with a mean deft index of 5.6, categorized as high, and an OHI-S score of 3.2, categorized as poor. This condition indicates that students’ oral health maintenance remains inadequate, highlighting the need for engaging and interactive educational approaches, one of which is puzzle-based education. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of interactive education using puzzle media on oral and dental health maintenance knowledge among third-grade students at MIN 27 Lambaro, Aceh Besar. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test control group. The sample consisted of 74 students divided equally into an intervention group and a control group, with 37 students in each group, selected using total sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using paired-samples and independent-samples t-tests. Results: Knowledge increased in the intervention group, with a mean difference of 5.02 points and a p-value of 0.001 (p < 0.05). In the control group, the increase was not statistically significant, with a mean difference of 0.21 points and a p-value of 0.052 (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Interactive education using puzzle media was effective and significantly improved oral and dental health maintenance knowledge among third-grade students at MIN 27 Lambaro, Aceh Besar