Effect of health education intervention conducted by Primary Health Care workers on oral health knowledge and practices of nursing mothers in Lagos State

Educational interventions on oral health care is traditionally carried out mainly by oral health workers in Nigeria. Despite the introduction of the National Oral Health Policy, oral health services/education is virtually non-existent in PHC centres in Nigeria. This study sought to determine the effect of a health education intervention delivered by Community Health Officers (CHO) on the oral health knowledge and practices of mothers attending a PHC centre in Lagos State. A pre-experimental, Before- After study design was employed. An interviewer- administered questionnaire was administered at baseline to assess the oral health care knowledge and practices of 267 mothers who enrolled in the programme. After enrolling the participants, CHO’s previously trained commenced a health education intervention on oral health. The intervention, which consisted of 2 lecture sessions, a demonstration session and a return demonstration session, utilising flipcharts and health information leaflets spanned a six-month period. Oral health knowledge and practices of participating mothers was evaluated 3 and 6 months after the intervention commenced using a standardised checklist. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS version 20, P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. The mean oral health knowledge score at baseline was 4.58 (±1.37) while at 3-month and 6-month postintervention the mean scores were 4.68 (±0.97) and 4.96 (±0.49), respectively. There was a statistically significant increase (P=0.000) in the mean knowledge scores at 6 months post-intervention. Mothers who were 36 years or older and those with more than 12 years education displayed significantly better knowledge scores (P<0.05). Most (78.3%) reported using cotton wool or foam with water for their infants’ oral hygiene. By the second post-intervention visit, there was a significant change in the perception of the mothers on correct oral hygiene tool for infants (52.3%; P=0.000). Furthermore the percentage of mothers actually using toothbrush to clean their child’s mouth (98.1%; P=0.000) had increased. The oral health knowledge of the participants increased significantly following the intervention especially at the 6-month evaluation. PHC workers can successfully carry out oral health educational interventions at PHC level. The greatest value will occur with reinforced repetition of the messages

Exploring strategies for integrating preventive oral care in prenatal health care services in British Columbia, Canada

Background: Pregnancy may increase the risk for developing oral diseases especially periodontal disease and dental caries, both diseases are largely preventable. Oral health promotion within an integrated care approach is included in the British Columbia (BC) prenatal care pathway. The approach for achieving this integration is however not. Objectives: The primary aim of this thesis is to explore strategies for integrating preventive oral healthcare into routine prenatal care in BC from the perspective of pregnant women and health care providers in prenatal and oral healthcare. The secondary aims are to explore the barriers and facilitators of integration, and to refine an existing model for oral health integration during prenatal care. Methods: The thesis included a scoping review, followed by qualitative studies with pregnant women and health care providers in prenatal and oral healthcare. The qualitative study framed under a social constructivist lens was conducted among 39 participants in BC using semi-structured interviews. An inductive thematic analysis was used with NVivo® software. Memos, field notes, member-checking, and an audit trail contributed to the study credibility and trustworthiness Results: From the 35 articles included in the scoping review, one model of care was identified and the most common type of integration reported was linkages. The study participants favored including oral health check-ups as a component of prenatal assessments. They suggested that prenatal providers should offer oral health education and utilize screening questions during prenatal care. They advocated the establishment of referral systems, while proposing coverage of basic oral health services via the Medical Services Plan. Regarding the model of care, including facilitators and barriers to integrated care and clear communication strategies for interprofessional collaboration were suggested. This led to development of a new portrayal of oral care integration during pregnancy for BC. Conclusion: The scoping review highlighted that limited evidence exists on integrating oral health during prenatal care. Most of the participants in the qualitative studies supported integrating preventive oral health in routine prenatal services in BC. The study findings indicate that integrating oral health in routine prenatal care might be feasible in BC.Dentistry, Faculty ofGraduat

Oral health practices and oral hygiene status as indicators of suicidal ideation among adolescents in Southwest Nigeria.

BackgroundOral health is a less-recognized correlate of overall and mental wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the relationship between suicidal behavior (ideation and attempt) and oral health practices and status, and to determine the effect of sex on these associations among Nigerian adolescents.MethodsHousehold survey data were collected from 10 to 19-year-old adolescents in southwestern Nigeria. Dependent variables were daily tooth brushing, daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals, and oral hygiene status (measured by plaque index). The independent variable was lifetime suicidal ideation/attempt, dichotomized into 'yes' and 'never'. 'Daily tooth brushing' and 'daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals' were included in two separate logistic regression models, and 'oral hygiene status' was included in a linear regression model. The models were adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. The linear regression model was also adjusted for frequency of daily tooth-brushing and of consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals. Interactions between sex and suicidal ideation/suicide attempt in association with dependent variables were assessed. Significance was set at 5%.ResultsWe recruited 1,472 participants with mean age (standard deviation) of 14.6 (2.6) years. The mean plaque index was 0.84 (0.56), and 66 (4.5%) adolescents reported ever having suicidal ideation/attempt. Suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with significantly lower likelihood of tooth brushing (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.91), higher likelihood of consuming refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.29, 4.10), and having poor oral hygiene (B = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.32). Among males, suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with less likelihood of eating refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.35, 2.61). Conversely, it was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of this outcome (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 2.23, 10.55) among females.ConclusionThe study findings suggest that poor tooth brushing habits and poor oral hygiene are indicators for risk of suicidal behavior for adolescents in Nigeria, while high sugar consumption may be an additional risk factor for adolescent females. These findings support the role of dental practitioners as members of healthcare teams responsible for screening, identifying and referring patients at risk for suicidal ideation/attempt