Application of the PRECEDE-PROCEED Planning Model in Designing an Oral Health Strategy

Although the poor oral health of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) constitutes a significant health disparity in the United States, few interventions to date have produced lasting results. Moreover, there is minimal application of planning models to inform and design a theory-based strategy that has the potential to be effective and sustainable in this population.

The PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model is being used to design and evaluate an oral health strategy for adults with IDD. The PRECEDE component involves assessing social, epidemiological, behavioral, environmental, educational, and ecological factors that informed the development of an intervention with underlying social cognitive theory assumptions. The PROCEED component consists of pilot-testing and evaluating the implementation of the strategy, its impact on mediators and outcomes of the population under study.

A The PRECEDE assessment and strategy design results are presented including a conceptual framework and oral health strategy that are linked to social cognitive theory and Health Action Process Approach. We have developed a strategy consisting of a planned actions, capacity building, environmental adaptations, and caregiver reinforcement within group homes. The strategy is designed to increase caregiver self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and behavioral capability, and also to create environmental influences that will lead to improved self-care behavior of the adult with IDD. It is anticipated that this strategy will improve the oral health and quality of life, including respiratory health, of individuals with IDD. The planned PROCEED component of the planning model includes a description of an in-process pilot study to refine the oral health strategy, along with a future randomized controlled clinical trial to demonstrate its effectiveness.

The application of the PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model presented here demonstrates the feasibility of this planning model for developing and evaluating interventions for adults within the IDD population.