Evaluation of an oral health education program for young aboriginal children: feedback from parents, aboriginal health workers and managerial staff

Smith, Leanne; Blinkhorn, Anthony; Moir, Rachel; Brown, Ngiare; Blinkhorn, Fiona

doi:10.1080/14635240.2019.1680306

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…A research project in NSW called 'Smiles not Tears', focused on preschoolage children, promoted brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and reducing sugary foods and drinks intake as much as possible. 31 A more direct way to prevent dental caries in children is with fluoride varnish.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, these specific measures in NSW Indigenous communities play the role of oral health promotion in three directions: prevention of dental caries aetiology, oral knowledge and awareness, and reduction of bad habits that lead to dental caries. A research project in NSW called ‘Smiles not Tears’, focused on preschool‐age children, promoted brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and reducing sugary foods and drinks intake as much as possible 31 . A more direct way to prevent dental caries in children is with fluoride varnish.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Inequalities in dental caries among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous children in Australia: A literature review

Wang,

Ghanbarzadegan,

Sohn

et al. 2024

Australian Dental Journal

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Dental caries constitutes one of the most ubiquitous diseases in Australia, with Indigenous children presenting a notably higher prevalence than their non‐Indigenous peers. This literature review aims to update the knowledge base developed by Christian and Blinkhorn in 2012, with a particular focus on the contemporary disparities in dental caries between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous children. Our research strategy involved a thorough exploration of the Medline, PubMed, and Scopus databases to identify pertinent studies published between 2009 and 2022. Supplementary resources included various government websites and citation searches. We prioritised studies that focused on children aged 5–6 or 12 years—reflecting the World Health Organization's index ages for oral health—and that reported dental caries prevalence and experience indicators. Our review methodology was guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses) statement. The updated search, spanning 2009 to 2023, retrieved studies that reported caries estimates exclusively from 2009 to 2014. Within this period, the prevalence of dental caries in Indigenous children's primary teeth ranged between 52% and 77%, while the prevalence in permanent teeth varied from 36% to 60%. This updated review indicated that Indigenous children continue to experience caries at an approximately twice higher rate than non‐Indigenous children, sustaining the persisting disparity in caries estimates. The findings from this review show that no discernible improvement in dental caries rates among Australian Indigenous children has been observed in comparison to the previous review; and that Indigenous children continue to experience both higher prevalence and severity of the dental caries compared to non‐Indigenous children.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inequalities in dental caries among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous children in Australia: A literature review

Wang,

Ghanbarzadegan,

Sohn

et al. 2024

Australian Dental Journal

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“…Trained Aboriginal Health workers can play a key role in delivering these educational interventions as they are trusted in the community and thus can empower families to initiate preventative dental checks for their children as well as promote healthy diet and beverage consumption practices 49 . Such a model of care has been shown to be acceptable to parents and effective in reducing caries prevalence in Aboriginal children 50,51 and thus more advocacy in needed to make such programs accessible to greater communities. It is equally important to involve Elders in these strategies to draw on their wisdom and influence in the community to help promote oral health in children 52 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oral health status, behaviours, food and beverage consumption of aboriginal children in Australia

George

Villarosa

Ingram

et al. 2020

Health Prom J of Aust

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Issue addressed: Dental decay is prevalent among Australian Aboriginal children, yet little is known about their oral health-related behaviours. This study explored the oral health status, behaviours, food and beverage consumption of Aboriginal school children aged 7-9 years in Sydney, Australia.Methods: Parents who were part of an existing longitudinal birth cohort ("Gudaga") were surveyed when their child was between 7 and 9 years. Children (n = 110) also received oral health screening by a trained nurse.Results: A number of children (62%-91%) had at least one visible oral health problem across the 2 years. Around two thirds (62%-67%) of parents rated their child's oral health as excellent/very good and less than half the children (32%-45%) had received dental check-ups. Most children (79%-90%) brushed their teeth and drank water (97%) but more than half (57%-70%) also drank sugar sweetened beverages daily. Conclusions:Parents are instilling good oral health behaviours, however, the oral health screening suggests children are experiencing oral health issues of which parents may be unaware. Parents also seem to be unaware of beverage consumption practices that can increase the risk of childhood decay. So what?:The findings highlight the need for greater oral health awareness among Aboriginal families on how to recognise early symptoms dental decay and risk factors like sugar sweetened beverages among school going children. This suggests that existing health promotion strategies may not be reaching many Aboriginal families in the urban areas and more culturally appropriate programs may be needed.

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“…Community members in Alaska have been successful in bridging the gap between oral health professionals and communities, and providing more consistent and culturally competent care, especially in remote areas which have traditionally had sporadic access to dental care. In New South Wales, AHWs have been successful in facilitating oral health education programs for children and parents [95] and have self-identified their potential to facilitate similar programming for mothers during pregnancy [96]. Utilisation of AHWs for oral health provision builds on familiar and trusting relationships, which have been identified by both Indigenous parents and AHWs as imperative to service utilisation, attendance to appointments, and comprehensive identification of patient needs [97][98][99].…”

Section: Community-level Influencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child-, Family-, and Community-Level Facilitators for Promoting Oral Health Practices among Indigenous Children

Poirier

Hedges

Smithers

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Despite the preventive nature of oral diseases and their significance for general wellbeing, poor oral health is highly prevalent and has unfavourable ramifications for children around the world. Indigenous children in Australia experience disproportionate rates of early childhood caries compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Therefore, this paper aims to collate parental experiences and generate an understanding of facilitators for Indigenous childhood oral health. This project aggregated stories from parents of Indigenous children across South Australia who were participants in an early childhood caries-prevention trial. This paper explores facilitators for establishing oral health and nutrition behaviours for Indigenous children under the age of three through reflexive thematic analysis. Fisher-Owens’ conceptual model for influences on children’s oral health is utilised as a framework for thematic findings. Child-level facilitators include oral hygiene routines and regular water consumption. Family-level facilitators include familial ties, importance of knowledge, and positive oral health beliefs. Community-level facilitators include generational teaching, helpful community resources, and holistic health care. Recommendations from findings include the following: exploration of Indigenous health workers and elder participation in oral health initiatives; inclusion of Indigenous community representatives in mainstream oral health discussions; and incorporation of child-level, family-level, and community-level facilitators to increase support for efficacious oral health programs.

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Evaluation of an oral health education program for young aboriginal children: feedback from parents, aboriginal health workers and managerial staff

Cited by 3 publications

References 22 publications

Inequalities in dental caries among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous children in Australia: A literature review

Inequalities in dental caries among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous children in Australia: A literature review

Oral health status, behaviours, food and beverage consumption of aboriginal children in Australia

Child-, Family-, and Community-Level Facilitators for Promoting Oral Health Practices among Indigenous Children

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