IADR Abstract Archives

Information and Communication Technologies and the Common Risk Factors Approach

Objectives: The World Health Organization Oral Health division has called for research into oral health information systems and oral disease-systemic disease interrelationships. The aim of this paper is to present opportunities for the use of these technologies to further research into oral disease-systemic disease interrelationship in dental public health.

Methods: Already WHO has started developing modern oral health information systems by using the Common Risk Factor Approach (CRFA) to integrate with the STEPwise approach to surveillance of non-communicable, chronic disease, and data stored in the WHO Global InfoBase. The rapid development in the field of Information and Communication Technologies like Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in combination with database technology was explored to determine how these can be used to integrate oral health into general health planning and ultimately assist the goals of reducing the global disease burden.

Results: Facts are presented on how these technological tools can be leveraged to deploy the principles of CRFA in identifying and linking common risks factors of oral and general diseases within the population. Evidence is also adduced for the possible use of these findings as a basis for the integration of oral and general health planning focusing on the population-based approach.

Conclusion: The merging of these technologies within the existing common risk factor approach framework may provide a great opportunity for oral epidemiologist and researchers to generate and detect common risk factors linking oral diseases and systemic diseases within and between populations. Also, a modern oral health information system embracing these technologies may help to improve informed policy for practice in oral health prevention and promotion.


Division: Nigerian Division Meeting
Meeting: 2006 Nigerian Division Meeting (Ibadan, Nigeria)
Location: Ibadan, Nigeria
Year: 2006
Final Presentation ID:
Abstract Category|Abstract Category(s): Scientific Groups
Authors
  • Iluyemi, Adesina  ( Queen Mary's University of London, London, N/A, United Kingdom )
  • SESSION INFORMATION
    Oral Session
    Oral Health Research