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Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
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Improving parent oral health literacy in Head Start programs
Rebecca Dudovitz1, Carol Teutsch2, Katrina Holt3
1Department of Pediatrics and Children's Discovery and Innovations Institute, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Journal of Public Health Dentistry
|February 22, 2020
Summary
This study shows that an oral health literacy intervention for parents in Head Start programs significantly improved their knowledge and behaviors. The intervention led to better child oral health outcomes and reduced emergency room visits for dental issues.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Literacy
- Child Oral Health
Background:
- Parental low oral health literacy is a key factor in child oral health disparities.
- Large-scale interventions are needed to improve oral health literacy in diverse, high-risk populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an oral health literacy intervention for parents in Head Start programs.
- To determine if the intervention improved parental oral health literacy and behaviors.
Main Methods:
- 2,011 parents from 29 Head Start agencies completed surveys at baseline and 6-month follow-up.
- Intervention involved trained Head Start staff delivering oral health literacy education.
- Statistical analyses included paired t tests and mixed-effects regression models.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed in parents' oral health knowledge and behaviors.
- Parents reported increased use of oral health information sources and preventative care.
- Emergency room use for child dental problems decreased, and Head Start staff noted positive impacts.
Conclusions:
- The oral health literacy intervention effectively improved literacy and behaviors in diverse, high-risk parents.
- This approach shows promise for reducing child oral health disparities.
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