The 'spread of effect' of a school based dental health education project

A study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of a school based dental health education programme ("Natural Nashers') upon the families of adolescents receiving the programme. Interviews with 73 randomly selected parents were conducted. One group (n = 35) had a child who had recently received the programme, the other (n = 38) had not. During the interview they were asked if they or other family members (apart from the programme recipient) had changed their dental behaviour or received any new dental information in the previous 2 months. Changes in behaviour were reported from 12 parents in the study group compared with seven in the control. Twenty two parents from the study group reported receiving new dental information in the family compared with four in the control group. The information and reported changes in behaviour related primarily to aspects of disclosing. In 80% of these cases of change or new information in the study group the source was an adolescent who had recently been taught "Natural Nashers'.