NOHSS Child Indicators – 2001
Methods for State Oral Health Surveys that began data collection in 2001
Updated January 21, 2015
Arkansas
The survey was completed during the 2001-2002 school year. A random sample of public and private elementary schools was selected using computer generated random numbers against the numerical listing of all elementary schools in Arkansas. Two dentists and one dental hygienist completed the screening following an informal calibration process. Children were examined using disposable mouth mirrors and portable dental lights. Diagnostic criteria were comparable to ASTDD’s 1999 Basic Screening Survey. Of 815 3rd-grade children selected, 698 (86%) from 18 schools participated. In Arkansas, 45% of school-children are eligible for the free/reduced cost lunch program; 55% of the students attending participating schools were eligible for the free/reduced cost lunch program. Weighting was not necessary because of the sample design. Estimates were not adjusted for nonresponse.
Delaware
The survey was conducted during the 2001-2002 school year. The oral health assessment was designed to provide a representative sample of Delaware public school children in 3rd grade. The sample design was a random selection of schools from Delaware’s public school system. Schools were selected from a list generated from Delaware Department of Education data. Implicit stratification on county was used for the school selections. The list of Delaware schools was sorted by the three counties; this method ensured proportional sampling from the counties in the state. Twenty-three schools were selected and 19 agreed to participate. Forty-three percent of sampled children participated. The diagnostic criteria were comparable to ASTDD’s 1999 Basic Screening Survey. In the state, 40% of schoolchildren are eligible for the free/reduced lunch (FRL) program. Among students attending the selected schools, 37% of the students were eligible for FRL. Among students who participated in the survey, 41% were eligible for FRL. Estimates are reported both adjusted and unadjusted for nonresponse.
Idaho
The survey was conducted during the 2001-2002 school year. The sample design for this survey used a probability-proportional-to-size (PPS) selection of public and charter schools with a Kindergarten enrollment of 20 or more. Schools that refused to participate were replaced with the next school in the sampling strata. The examinations were completed by health district hygienists using diagnostic criteria comparable to ASTDD’s 1999 Basic Screening Survey. In the state, 39% of elementary school students were eligible for the free/reduced lunch program (FRL); 47% of the students in the participating schools were eligible. The response rates was 65%. The data were weighted to account for the survey design. The estimates are presented adjusted and unadjusted for nonresponse.
New York
The survey was conducted during the 2001-2003 school years. The sampling frame consisted of elementary schools with 3rd grade. A representative sample of schools was selected from each county with separate samples for New York City and upstate counties. In upstate New York, public elementary schools were stratified by county and socioeconomic status. In New York City, public and nonpublic schools from 5 boroughs formed 10 strata. The screenings were completed using diagnostic criteria comparable to ASTDD’s 1999 Basic Screening Survey. Of the students selected, 38% responded. The percentage of participating children eligible for FRL was 48% while 51% of elementary students in the state were eligible for FRL. The estimates presented are adjusted for the complex sampling scheme and nonresponse.
North Carolina
The survey was conducted during the 2001-2002 school year. The target population was the universe of kindergarten children in public elementary schools. Dental hygienists completed the screenings using diagnostic criteria comparable to ASTDD’s 1999 Basic Screening Survey. A total of 87,715 kindergarten children were screened for a response rate of 84%. Since the target population is the universe of children rather than a probability sample, confidence intervals are not presented and the estimates are not adjusted for nonresponse.
Oregon
The survey was conducted during the 2001-2002 school year. This study was designed to provide a representative sample of Oregon public school children in grades 1 to 3. The sample design for this survey used a probability-proportional-to-size (PPS) selection of schools from Oregon’s public school system. Schools were selected from a list generated from Oregon Department of Education data. Implicit stratification on health region and percent of children in the school eligible for the state free/reduced lunch program was used for the school selections. Children in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades were screened. The diagnostic criteria were comparable to ASTDD’s 1999 Basic Screening Survey. In the state, 41% of students were eligible for the free/reduced lunch program (FRL); 44% of the students participating in the survey were eligible for FRL. The response rate was 47% for 1st grade, 37% for 2nd, and 39% for 3rd. The estimates were adjusted for nonresponse. The data were weighted to account for the survey design.
South Carolina
The survey was conducted during the 2001-2002 school year. The sampling frame consisted of all public elementary schools with kindergarten and/or 3rd grade. A stratified random sample of 143 schools was selected that represented all 46 counties in South Carolina. The screenings were completed using diagnostic criteria comparable to ASTDD’s 1999 Basic Screening Survey. Of the students selected, 99% responded. The percentage of participating children eligible for FRL was 53% for the kindergarten and 62% for the 3rd grade children. Fifty-four percent of students in the state were eligible for FRL. The data were self-weighting and the estimates are presented adjusted for nonresponse.
Wisconsin
The survey was conducted during the 2001-2002 school year. A self-weighting sample of public elementary schools was obtained for each of the five regions in the state. Within each region, elementary schools were sorted by percent of minority enrollment. A random sample of elementary schools then was selected for each region. Ninety schools participated in the survey. All 3rd grade children in the school were eligible to participate. A combination of positive and passive consent was used to obtain parental consent. The statewide response rate was 67 percent. The survey followed the methods outlined in ASTDD’s Basic Screening Survey. The screenings were completed by five dental hygienists who participated in a training and calibration session. In the state, 34% of schoolchildren are eligible for the free/reduced lunch program (FRL); among students attending schools in the sample, 39% were eligible for FRL. Estimates were not adjusted for nonresponse.