Using a "lifestyle" perspective to understand toothbrushing behaviour in Scottish schoolchildren.

Using data from a wider survey of health related behaviour in 4,935 Lothian schoolchildren, 11, 13, and 15 yr old, this paper analysed toothbrushing frequency and its relation to "lifestyle" factors. Analysis of the results showed that girls brush more frequently than boys and that children with higher social class background brushed more frequently than children with low social class background. Further toothbrushing frequency was significantly related to the subjects' health perception, smoking and drinking habits, eating habits, bedtimes, and video-watching. Moreover, all these lifestyle factors were inter-related. The paper reinforced the concept of lifestyle as a meaningful descriptive term. The results demonstrated that the bivariate associations are pieces in a more complex mosaic. Toothbrushing thus seems to be an integrated part of a child's lifestyle and should be regarded as such in future health promotion efforts.