Objectives
The purpose of this qualitative oral health needs assessment was to probe and better understand the oral health knowledge, beliefs, and barriers of District residents, particularly in DC wards where oral health disparities are most prevalent.
Methods
Forty-eight (n = 48) participants were recruited for four focus groups. The focus group instrument consisted of a structured interview guide addressing the following topics: oral health history, perceived barriers to oral health, knowledge and perceptions about oral systemic health, and preferred message channels for receiving information on oral/dental health. Content analysis was performed using NVivo, a computerized, qualitative informatics tool.
Results
The majority of participants in this study practiced both brushing and flossing in their daily dental routine and did not believe that tooth loss is a normal part of ageing. There was lack of knowledge on the connection between oral and systemic health, specifically impact of smoking, alcohol use, and sweets and sexual activity. Focus groups identified two main barriers to healthcare access–communication and affordability. Participants who had a dentist were satisfied and felt that their needs were met.
Conclusion
Our findings indicate a need for educational intervention and improved communication from oral health providers to increase awareness of the impact of systemic health and risky behaviors can have on oral health.
Background
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States. The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated that low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening can reduce lung cancer mortality among high-risk individuals, but uptake of lung screening remains low. Social media platforms have the potential to reach a large number of people, including those who are at high risk for lung cancer but who may not be aware of or have access to lung screening.
Methods
This paper discusses the protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that leverages FBTA to reach screening-eligible individuals in the community at large and intervene with a public-facing, tailored health communication intervention (LungTalk) to increase awareness of, and knowledge about, lung screening.
Discussion
This study will provide important information to inform the ability to refine implementation processes for national population efforts to scale a public-facing health communication focused intervention using social media to increase screening uptake of appropriate, high-risk individuals.
Trial registration
The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (#NCT05824273).
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