Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Oral Health Edutainment Activity in Improving Oral Health, Sugar Consumption Behaviors, and Oral Hygiene Status among Government Primary School Children: A Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial

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Background: With edutainment activities demonstrating significant success in improving the oral health attitudes and behaviors, it is warranted that schoolchildren from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are provided with practically feasible edutainment activities. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an edutainment activity rooted in the traditional snake and ladder game in improving behaviors conducive to oral health and oral hygiene status among government primary school children in NTR district, Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Methods: This cluster-randomized controlled trial was done among 139 government primary school children, where an edutainment intervention based on the traditional snake and ladder game was designed and administered with a frequency of at least twice a week. Total sugar score and simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S) were the key outcomes that were recorded at baseline and 6 weeks postintervention. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics, independent samples t -tests, and paired t -tests were done to analyze the study data using IBM SPSS version 20 software (IBM SPSS, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results: While there were no significant differences between the trial arms in OHI-S scores, the intervention arm had significantly lesser sugar scores at the 6 weeks’ postintervention time point, and there was also a significant decline in the total sugar score from baseline to 6 weeks in the intervention arm. Conclusion: The edutainment activity offered for the schoolchildren was effective in improving food choices, though there was no apparent change in the oral hygiene status.