The transfer of preventive health technologies to schools: A focus on implementation

Coombs, Jeanne A.; Silversin, Jacob B.; Rogers, Everett M.; Drolette, Margaret E.

doi:10.1016/0271-7123(81)90023-7

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…This phenomenon may be worth investigating further to determine if the positive attitudes exhibited by future teachers toward such responsibilities can be sustained. Resistance to accepting supervisory responsibilities also may be the result of teachers' perceptions that this activity should be performed by other employees, such as the school nurse (11). A sign of encouragement, nonetheless, is that some of the rural schools had mouthrinsing programs, and that rural teachers were more willing to accept supervisory responsibilities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oral Health Knowledge and Attitudes of Elementary Schoolteachers in Michigan

Lang

Woolfolk

Faja

1989

J Public Health Dent

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Teachers at elementary schools in two areas (urban and rural) of Michigan were surveyed to determine their sources of information about oral health and their knowledge and attitudes about dental diseases and disease prevention. Questionnaires were completed by 404 teachers (62% response rate). More than 80 percent of respondents from both areas were female. Demographic characteristics that were significantly different between groups included: median ages of urban and rural respondents (P less than .01), median numbers of years in teaching (P less than .01), and median years in residence (P less than .03). Despite these differences, responses to the questionnaire varied little. For both groups, the most frequently cited sources of information about dental health were dentist's office (82%), followed by magazines and books (74%). The teachers considered preventing tooth decay as the most important reason for good oral hygiene. When asked to rank the effectiveness of ten methods of preventing caries in children, teachers ranked efficacious methods such as fluoridated water and pit and fissure sealants lower than making regular dental visits and reducing intake of sugared foods. Asked to rank the most effective method for children to receive fluoride, urban respondents ranked fluoridated water first, while rural respondents ranked this measure third. Findings suggest that teachers' knowledge about oral health and current methods of prevention is incomplete, is inaccurate in some instances, and varies little by geographic area.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oral Health Knowledge and Attitudes of Elementary Schoolteachers in Michigan

Lang

Woolfolk

Faja

1989

J Public Health Dent

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“…Therefore, the sample construction and major parts of the instrument design are derived from that 1979 work. The methods detailed below describe the most recent telephone interviews; methods for the earlier survey have already been published (4,6,15).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This conclusion was disseminated widely in the national press prior to scientific peer review (ll), and has since been criticized widely on methodological grounds. Although other recent studies have continued to show significant effectiveness for the FMRP (9,(12)(13)(14)(15), the widespread report of low effectiveness for the FMRP, coupled with recent data showing a reduced prevalence of caries (21,22), may have discouraged local public health officials from promoting the adoption of this procedure.…”

Section: "Research Is Needed T O Understand the Decision Processes Lementioning

confidence: 99%

The Adoption and Implementation of the Fluoride Mouthrinse Program: Descriptive Results from School Districts*

Scheirer

Allen

Rauch

1987

J Public Health Dent

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Systematic research is needed about the dissemination and use of effective caries prevention measures to establish adoption trends and to examine factors related to desired practice. This paper examines the adoption and implementation of the fluoride mouthrinse program (FMRP) in public school districts. It extends a similar study by Silversin and Coombs in 1979 by reporting telephone interview data from the same sample of school districts. The results indicate that the extent of FMRP adoption has increased since 1979, but that the recent rate of new adopters has slowed considerably. About one-quarter of the districts that had ever offered the FMRP have since discontinued it, most frequently by gradual abandonment. The reported accuracy of school level implementation was assessed in terms of seven required components of the FMRP. Only 57 percent of the sample reported implementing six or seven components correctly, showing at best only moderate accuracy of delivery at the local level.

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