Knowledge of oral health, health literacy, and oral-health behaviors among pharmacy students in Japan

Abstract Background Community pharmacies are expected to play a role in oral health promotion and disease prevention. However, knowledge of oral health and oral-health behaviors among Japanese pharmacy students remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of oral care (OC) and health literacy (HL) among Japanese pharmacy students and to identify factors associated with their preventive dental visits. Methods Pharmacy students at Hoshi University were enrolled. Questions from the Oral Care Ambassador certification textbook were selected to assess knowledge regarding 13 broad domains. HL was assessed using the short version of the European HL Survey Questionnaire. A logistic regression model was constructed using preventive dental visits as the outcome variable. Results The proportion of students with knowledge regarding assistance and home healthcare for OC and dysphagia/rehabilitation was small, and the scores were low on several practical HL items. Students who preventively visited a dentist showed significantly higher rates of dental floss and interdental brush use compared to those who did not. Conclusions This study suggests that pharmacy students before clinical practice may lack knowledge of home healthcare and dysphagia/rehabilitation of OC, and that their practical HL skills in clinical settings are low. These findings may provide insights for addressing challenges in the teaching methods for OC and HL among pharmacy students in the future.