Methods: 187 active, independent-living older adults participated in this evaluation. They were members of Italian social clubs and had completed the intervention scheme. Participants were allocated to either the control or the test group. The intervention was based on the ORHIS model (Oral Health Information Seminars/Sheets) and consisted of a series of oral health seminars and four supervised brushing sessions at the club premises. The intervention did not involve any direct oral health professional input and no form of periodontal treatment was provided throughout the study period. Gingival health was assessed (dental plaque levels and gingival bleeding). A series of one-way analyses of covariance were conducted using the baseline measures as covariate. In addition, paired t-tests were also used. This evaluation took place between July and October 2008.
Results: Participants who took part in the intervention presented lower levels of gingival bleeding than those in the control group. At post-test, controlling for pre-test scores, the experimental group was significantly more likely than the control group to have improved gingival status (F(1,142)=10.77; p<0.01). However, no significant effects were present regarding dental plaque.
Conclusion: The study confirms the effectiveness of the ORHIS approach alone in improving gingival health. This was a major achievement of this study. The ORHIS approach was successful within the setting of Italian social clubs, highly acceptable to this community, and certainly sustainable with minimal external input. As such, it represents an extremely helpful approach for the design of oral health interventions in older migrant adults.
Supported by the William Buckland Foundation (Australia).