| dc.description.abstract | Cases of dental caries among elementary school students in Medan City have shown a significant increase: from 4,175 cases in 2021 to 19,534 in 2022, and up to 46,219 cases in 2023. The School Health Program (UKS) is an initiative aimed at addressing dental caries among elementary school students, underscoring the need to enhance its implementation. This research aims to analyze the implementation of the UKS program in mantaining the dental health of public elementary school students in Medan City, along with the factors that influence it. This study employs a mixed-methods approach using a sequential explanatory design. The quantitative sample includes 80 public elementary schools across seven sub-districts in Medan City, while qualitative data was obtained from interviews with three key informants from the UKS development team at the regency/city and sub-district levels. Data analysis involved bivariate analysis using the chi–square test, while multivariate analysis was conducted using ordinal logistic regression. Results showed that 56.2 percent of public elementary schools have not implemented the UKS program in maintaining dental health optimally. Communication (p=<0.001), disposition (p=<0.001), resources (p=<0.001), and bureaucratic structure (p=0.001) were associated with implementation quality. However, multivariate analysis revealed that only the communication (p=0.023) and resources (p=0.024) variables had a statistically significant impact on the implementation of the UKS program in dental health maintenance. Public elementary schools with good communication are 6,147 times more likely to have better implementation of the UKS program. Interview findings suggest that the lack of guidance, monitoring, and supervision from the Education Department and Health Services hinder the optimal implementation of the UKS program. Enhanced coordination and collaboration among the Education Department, Health Services, Community Health Centers, and schools are essential to improving the implementation of the UKS program in maintaining the dental health of public elementary school students in Medan City. | en_US |
