An Oral Health Education Training Intervention: A pilot study with Haitian schoolteachers

Purpose: Risk factors for oral disease are elevated among disadvantaged populations living in developing countries; rural Haitian school children have limited or no access to health care services. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess Haitian schoolteachers' attitudes and knowledge on oral health prior to and after attending an oral health educational intervention as well as their perceptions and experiences of receiving and implementing oral health education in a Haitian classroom setting.Methods: This mixed methods study used a quantitative, quasi-experimental, one-group pre/post-test design, before and after a 3-day oral health educational training in Borel, Haiti. A validated pre-and post-test questionnaire measured changes in oral health knowledge and attitudes. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was used to analyze information gathered during focus groups, using a semi-structured interview guide, to explore schoolteachers' perceptions and experiences regarding the training intervention and the six-week implementation of the oral health curriculum.Results: A purposeful sample of nine Haitian primary schoolteachers (n=9) consented to participate in the study. Oral health knowledge and attitude mean scores of the participants demonstrated improvement from pre-test (70%) to post-test (78%) scores. Qualitative findings revealed two major themes; confidence and empowerment, and improved oral health knowledge and hygiene behavior.Conclusion: Quantitative results from this study confirmed that training Haitian schoolteachers to integrate oral health education in the classroom can be an effective method for improving schoolteachers' personal oral health knowledge and attitudes. Findings also revealed a positive outlook on the training intervention and the application of an oral health education curriculum in the classroom. Results from this study provide a foundational knowledge for future oral health education trainings in underdeveloped countries with limited resources.