IADR Abstract Archives
Evaluation of a School-based Oral Health Program: A Mixed-method Approach
Objectives:
The goals of this evaluation study are to evaluate the impact of the prevention program through measuring children’s oral health and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) as well as mothers’ oral health awareness, and to explore factors related to implementation and maintenance.
Methods:
A mixed-method was employed based on sequential explanatory design to evaluate the prevention component of SOHP in the Kuwait Capital region. A framework developed based on the EHM and RE-AIM model guided this research. The study consisted of two phases. In Phase 1, we conducted a cross-sectional quantitative project to explore children’s oral health status and OHRQoL, as well as mothers’ oral health Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) and OHRQoL. In Phase 2, we conducted a qualitative project using a focused ethnography approach.
Results: The quantitative results revealed that of 440 children-mother pairs in the 11-to-12 year age group participating in the current study, of which 49.3% were male, there were two groups: SOHP and non-SOHP. The results showed that mean decay level (SD) DT/dt was 1.41 (1.66) and 2.61 (2.63) for SOHP-enrolled and non-SOHP. No significant differences were found in CPQ (11-14). SOHP mothers had significantly better OHRQoL compared to non-SOHP mothers (p<0.05), with significant differences in their OH knowledge but not in attitude and practices.
The qualitative data included 30 service providers, key informants, and decision-makers in four focus groups and four in-depth interviews. The interview data analysis showed two and three main categories of influencers affecting implementation and maintenance, respectively. For implementation dimension, the two categories that hindered the successful implementation of the program in school settings were: elements related to program structure and strategies, and school settings and stakeholders. Multiple factors were related to three chronological phases, including leadership, evidence-based dentistry and decision-making, development change, and proactive sustainability plan.
Conclusions: Kuwait SOHP have a positive impact on the schoolchildren oral health status, impact of the program can be achieved by improving the setting and the contextual factors.
The goals of this evaluation study are to evaluate the impact of the prevention program through measuring children’s oral health and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) as well as mothers’ oral health awareness, and to explore factors related to implementation and maintenance.
Methods:
A mixed-method was employed based on sequential explanatory design to evaluate the prevention component of SOHP in the Kuwait Capital region. A framework developed based on the EHM and RE-AIM model guided this research. The study consisted of two phases. In Phase 1, we conducted a cross-sectional quantitative project to explore children’s oral health status and OHRQoL, as well as mothers’ oral health Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) and OHRQoL. In Phase 2, we conducted a qualitative project using a focused ethnography approach.
Results: The quantitative results revealed that of 440 children-mother pairs in the 11-to-12 year age group participating in the current study, of which 49.3% were male, there were two groups: SOHP and non-SOHP. The results showed that mean decay level (SD) DT/dt was 1.41 (1.66) and 2.61 (2.63) for SOHP-enrolled and non-SOHP. No significant differences were found in CPQ (11-14). SOHP mothers had significantly better OHRQoL compared to non-SOHP mothers (p<0.05), with significant differences in their OH knowledge but not in attitude and practices.
The qualitative data included 30 service providers, key informants, and decision-makers in four focus groups and four in-depth interviews. The interview data analysis showed two and three main categories of influencers affecting implementation and maintenance, respectively. For implementation dimension, the two categories that hindered the successful implementation of the program in school settings were: elements related to program structure and strategies, and school settings and stakeholders. Multiple factors were related to three chronological phases, including leadership, evidence-based dentistry and decision-making, development change, and proactive sustainability plan.
Conclusions: Kuwait SOHP have a positive impact on the schoolchildren oral health status, impact of the program can be achieved by improving the setting and the contextual factors.