1. College Student’s Brushing & Eating Habits
Taylor Hajcak
Technology & Assessment Health & Exercise Science
Rowan University

2. Purpose of the Study
Educate college students on the importance of daily oral homecare
Inform college students of the negative effects of consuming high sugary beverages
Persuade college students to make healthier choices for meals and eat less fast food
Help college students recognize the relationship between poor diet and oral hygiene to overall health
To modify unhealthy habits and help develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

3. Literature Review
College students consumed less than 3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and drank at least one sugary beverage. (Small, 2014)
Students tended to eat less fruits and vegetables, exercise less and positive health behaviors, such as brushing and flossing, decreased over time (Small, 2014).
The average college student eats at a fast food restaurant 6-8 times per week (Driskell, 2006).
In the United States 51 million school hours are missed because of dental related illnesses every year (Jackson, 2011).
According to the National Institute of Health, 67% of adolescents age and 86 % of adults ages have had dental caries (tooth decay) in their permanent teeth, and 20% of year olds and 28% of year olds currently have untreated dental caries (NIDCR,2014).

4. method
s with questionnaires attached were sent to 30 students that attended Rowan University and who agreed to participate in this study. 15 female, 15 male students
Questionnaires included issues such as last dental visit, how often they brushed/flossed, how many sugary foods and beverages are consumed on a daily basis and how often they ate fast food.
Questionnaires were sent at the beginning and at the end of the semester and an informative “Fact Sheet” was sent half way through the semester for the college students to look over.
No extra additional requirements were needed or expected from the participants.

5. I N S T R U M E A O
Questionnaire
NAME: _________________________ DATE: _______________
GENDER: M F
PLEASE CIRCLE THE NUMBER THAT MOST CLOSELY REPRESENTS YOUR HABITS.
A. I usually brush and floss my teeth:
1.Brush several times per week no floss
2.Brush one time per day no floss
3.Brush one time per day and floss
4.Brush two times per day no floss
5.Brush two times per day and floss
B. I eat at Fast food restaurants:
1.I eat at fast food restaurants 3+ times per day
2.I eat at fast food restaurants 1-2 times per day
3.I eat at fast food restaurants several times per week
4.I eat at fast food restaurants several times per month
5.I do not eat at fast food restaurants
C. I drink sugary beverages:
1.I drink sugary beverages 4-5 times per day
2.I drink sugary beverages 2-3 times per day
3.I drink sugary beverages 1 time per day
4.I drink sugary beverages several times per week
5.I do not drink sugary beverages
D. I have been to the dentist:
1. In the last 3 months
2. In the last 6 months
3. In the last year
4. It has been over 1 ½ years
5. I can’t remember the last time I visited the dentist
This is the questionnaire used to collect the data for the project.

6. Did You Know?? It takes 43 muscles to frown, but only 17 to smile.
    
People who drink three or more sodas a day have 62% more dental issues than those who drink healthier alternatives. 
The second most common disease in The United States is tooth decay. 
Tooth decay is almost entirely preventable. 
Plaque found on your teeth has over 300 different species of bacteria.  
51 million school hours are lost annually due to dental related issues. 
Excessive alcohol consumption and tobacco use account for 90% of oral cancers worldwide. 
Flossing once a day can increase your life expectancy by 6 years. 
It takes 43 muscles to frown, but only 17 to smile. 
Rinsing with mouthwash does not take the place of flossing.
19% of children ages 2-19 have untreated cavities.
Bacteria can travel from your mouth to other body parts via your bloodstream.
Bleeding gums are a sign of gingivitis.
Periodontal disease (inflamed gum tissue and bone loss) is a risk factor of heart disease.
30% of people ages have no natural teeth.
Keep your toothbrush at least 6 ½ feet away from the toilet because bacteria after flushing can travel up to this distance. 

7. Description of study
Designed to identify student’s healthy and unhealthy eating habits and oral home care.
Help develop a routine that will help keep their teeth in optimal health while curbing the intake of sugary foods and beverages.
Questionnaires delivered via and completed and returned within 1 week at the beginning and end of the semester.
Students received information about healthy oral health habits as well as eating/drinking healthy beverages and other fun facts midway through the semester.
Information at the end of the semester compared to the beginning of the semester and results tallied to see if any improvement identified in any of the categories.

8. Results Brushing & Flossing
Pre Test Results
Post Test Results

9. Results Brushing & Flossing
Increase in all categories regarding number of times brushing and flossing per day
Students who were only brushing 5+ times per week increased their brushing to at least daily
Brushing 1x per day with no flossing category more than doubled at the end of the semester compared to the beginning of the semester.
Increases in both male and female participation in all categories

10. Results Consumption of Sugary Beverages
Pre Test Consumption
Post Test Consumption

11. Results Sugary Beverage consumption
Largest reduction of sugary beverage consumption is from 3-4 x per day to 1x per day in both male and female categories.
The category “4-5 drinks per day” no longer exists because students are consuming less sugary beverages.
The students recognized that drinking sugary beverages are not healthy and consumption of these types of drinks are less desirable.

12. S P R E A D H t

13. discussion
Improvement in all areas of the program (brushing/flossing, sugary beverage consumption and fast food consumption)
Students recognized that unhealthy eating/drinking could lead to more long term health issues.
Students realized that brushing and flossing are an important part of keeping their bodies at optimal health.
Students are interested in becoming more health conscious and want to reduce the effects of unhealthy habits by eating better and brushing and flossing regularly.

14. Next steps
Develop a plan to reach all incoming freshman students with information about healthy eating habits and proper oral health routines
Follow through every year to enforce the healthy habits with the students
Offer resources so that students can find a dentist or nutritionist if they need one.
Continue to send s to students with information on long term effects that could occur if healthy habits are not being followed.

15. resources
Dental Caries (tooth decay) in Adults (age 20-64). (2014, March 7). Retrieved April 17,
2017, from
Driskell, J., Meckna, B., & Scales, N. (2006, September 11). Differences exist in the eating
habits of university men and women at fast food restaurants. Science Direct,
Retrieved April 17, 2017, from
Jackson, S. L., Vann, W. F., Kotch, J. B., Pahel, B. T., & Lee, J. Y. (2011). Impact of Poor Oral
Health on Children’s School Attendance and Performance. American Journal of Public
Health, 101(10), 1900–
Small, M., Bailey-Davis, L., Morgan, N., & Maggs, J. (2013). Changes in Eating and Physical
Activity Behaviors Across Seven Semesters of College: Living On or Off Campus
Matters. Health Education & Behavior : The Official Publication of the Society for Public
Health Education, 40(4), 435–441.