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

George, Ajesh; Villarosa, Amy R.; Ingram, Suzanne; Fatema, Kaniz; Elliott, Koby; Grace, Rebekah; Kemp, Lynn; Scharkie, Sheryl A; Anderson, Cheryl; Bucknall, Natasha; Wright, Darryl; Comino, Elizabeth

doi:10.1002/hpja.354

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Eight townships in Taitung County had no dental clinic, accounting for 14.5% of Taiwan’s townships without dental clinics [ 9 ]. The generally low socioeconomic status and educational level of the aborigines also may have led to lower oral health literacy and poor oral health behaviors, causing more serious dental caries [ 10 ]. To prevent dental caries in schoolchildren, Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare committed to promoting oral health, including tooth brushing after meals, application of fluoride mouthwash in school, and free fissure sealing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of health-promoting school strategy on dental plaque control and preventive behaviors in schoolchildren in high-caries, rural areas of Taiwan: a quasi-experimental design

Wei

Lin

et al. 2021

BMC Oral Health

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Background We evaluated the effects of health-promoting school (HPS) strategy on plaque control and behavior change in high-caries schoolchildren in Taitung, Taiwan. Methods A quasi-experimental design was adopted; six intervention schools (intervention group [IG]) and six comparison schools (comparison group [CG]) were selected from elementary schools with higher-than-average caries rates (> 68%). The IG was selected using cluster sampling, and the CG was selected to match the IG. In total, the IG and CG groups included 166 and 174 children each. The selected schools implemented the HPS framework for 3 months in the 2019 academic year. An oral examination of dental plaque was administered, and a self-administered questionnaire regarding knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behaviors was distributed at baseline and at 2-week follow-up. A linear and logistic regression model using generalized estimating equations (GEEs) was used to analyze the differences between baseline and the follow-up data. Results Compared with the CG, the IG had a greater reduction in plaque index among second graders (β = − 0.36) and plaque control record scores among second, fourth, and sixth graders (β = − 27.48, − 26.04, and − 18.38, respectively). The IG also exhibited a greater increase at follow-up with respect to oral health–related knowledge among second graders and fourth graders (β = 1.46 and β = 0.92, respectively), attitude toward oral hygiene behaviors among sixth graders (β = 1.78), and self-efficacy regarding flossing for sixth graders (β = 1.43). Sixth graders in the IG were significantly more likely to brush before sleeping (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.99) and use fluoride toothpaste (aOR = 5.88) than those in the CG. Conclusions The HPS strategy was effective in reducing dental plaque and promoting preventing behaviors in rural high-caries schoolchildren.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of health-promoting school strategy on dental plaque control and preventive behaviors in schoolchildren in high-caries, rural areas of Taiwan: a quasi-experimental design

Wei

Lin

et al. 2021

BMC Oral Health

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“…26 These political and historical factors, have exacerbated the more commonly investigated influences on dental caries, such as: increased consumption of sugarsweetened beverages 27 ; lack knowledge and awareness of oral health; poor oral health behaviours and access to care. 28 In recent years, the government and states have taken various measures to narrow the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children with dental caries. For example, in regional, rural and remote communities in New South Wales where the majority (approximately 56%) Indigenous people live, the communities and the school jointly developed an oral health promotion plan, including brushing teeth at school under the supervision of teachers, distributing fluoride toothpaste at school, publicising oral knowledge, and providing drinking water to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indigenous people in Australia have experienced unfair treatment, such as colonisation, racism, and cultural genocide, which has profoundly impacted their physical, mental and emotional health 26 . These political and historical factors, have exacerbated the more commonly investigated influences on dental caries, such as: increased consumption of sugar‐sweetened beverages 27 ; lack knowledge and awareness of oral health; poor oral health behaviours and access to care 28 …”

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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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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“…Barriers to participation in health care services also stem from the profound and intergenerational effects of colonisation, which has resulted in many Indigenous peoples having an entrenched mistrust, from having endured poor treatment and racism over many years [8,9]. It has been recognised that more culturally appropriate child oral health promotion programs are needed [10]. Efficacy testing of programs for Indigenous populations is often hindered by generally low engagement and retention rates, given the commonality of past unethical and exploitive research practices with Indigenous communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategies to Support Sustained Participant Engagement in an Oral Health Promotion Study for Indigenous Children and Their Families in Australia

Hammersley

Hedges

Poirier

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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The health inequities of Indigenous peoples compared with non-Indigenous peoples are significant and long-standing across many countries. Colonisation and dispossession of land and culture has led to profound and devastating consequences on the health of Indigenous peoples. A lack of trust and cultural security of health services remains a barrier to participation in health care services. Similarly, engagement in research activities is also hindered by a history of unethical research practices. Creating partnerships between researchers and Indigenous communities is key in developing research studies that are culturally appropriate, acceptable and relevant to the needs of Indigenous peoples. Baby Teeth Talk was a randomised controlled trial conducted with Indigenous children and their mothers in South Australia that tested an intervention involving dental care, anticipatory guidance on oral health and dietary intake, and motivational interviewing. The study was developed in consultation and partnership with local Indigenous communities in South Australia and overseen by the study’s Aboriginal reference group. The recruitment and retention of participants in the study has been strong over numerous waves of follow-up. The purpose of this paper is to describe the strategies employed in the study that contributed to the successful and sustained engagement of the participants. These strategies included the establishment of an Aboriginal reference group, building relationships with organisations and community, flexibility of appointment scheduling and allocating adequate time, reimbursement for participant time, developing rapport with participants, encouraging participant self-determination, and adaptation of dietary data collection to better suit participants.

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

Cited by 4 publications

References 46 publications

Effects of health-promoting school strategy on dental plaque control and preventive behaviors in schoolchildren in high-caries, rural areas of Taiwan: a quasi-experimental design

Effects of health-promoting school strategy on dental plaque control and preventive behaviors in schoolchildren in high-caries, rural areas of Taiwan: a quasi-experimental design

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

Strategies to Support Sustained Participant Engagement in an Oral Health Promotion Study for Indigenous Children and Their Families in Australia

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