The Effectiveness of Learning Plan: “Don’t Falls, Don’t Forget, Don’t Be Depressed, Eat Delicious” to Oral Health Behaviors in the Elderly Schools, Regional Health 7

Abstract

Objective: The learning plan “Don’t Falls, Don’t Forget, Don’t Be Depressed, Eat Delicious” encompasses holistic health behaviors among older adults, with oral health behavior being one of its key components. This one-group pre-test–post-test experimental study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the plan on the oral-health behaviors of 247 seniors aged 60–86 years from eight Senior Schools in Health Region 7 across four provinces.

Materials and Methods: The plan was jointly designed and developed by Senior-School leaders and government-sector partner organizations, then implemented in the participating schools for six months. Effectiveness was evaluated by comparing oral-health behaviors and oral conditions before and after implementation, using McNemar’s chi-square test at a 95% confidence level. 

Results: The study found that Dental visits increased from 38.9% to 53.4%. Brushing at least twice a day rose from 80.2% to 88.3%. Brushing for at least two minutes climbed from 75.1% to 85.2%. Brushing before bedtime improved from 78.9% to 87.4%. Risk behaviors declined significantly (p<0.05): Betel-nut chewing fell from 8.9% to 4.9%. Alcohol consumption dropped from 9.3% to 2.8%. Reductions in smoking (4.5% → 2.4%) and use of fluoride toothpaste (85.9% → 82.5%) were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The “Don’t Falls, Don’t Forget, Don’t Be Depressed, Eat Delicious”—co-created by older adults and partner networks—proved effective in improving oral-health behaviors. Its application in Senior Schools enhanced participants’ knowledge and understanding, enabling them to adopt proper oral-care practices and ultimately achieve better oral health.