Brushing at least twice a day is one of the most effective methods for the prevention of dental caries and oral diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of poor oral hygiene in Mongolian school-going students. A secondary analysis of nationally representative data from the 2013 Mongolian Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) was performed. In the survey, a questionnaire was completed by 5393 students aged 12-16 years old. The prevalence of poor oral hygiene and its association with some independent variables were analyzed by frequency distribution, chi-squared test, and logistic regression. The overall prevalence of poor oral hygiene was 33%. In the multivariate analysis, male students, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, parents' smoking, being exposed to second-hand smoke, poor parental supervision and connectedness, physical inactivity, and sedentary behavior were significantly associated with poor oral hygiene. Meanwhile, students who ate fast food and drank carbonated soft drink were found to be less likely to be poor tooth-brushers in 2013. Various determinants were identified in connection with poor oral hygiene. Based on these findings, it is recommended that an oral health promotion program should be combined with general health promotion and lifestyle intervention programs for this target population.
Keywords: Mongolia; health survey; oral hygiene; prevalence; risk factors; school going students.