BMJ Open
Volume 5, Issue 6, 2015

Teeth Tales: A community-based child oral health promotion trial with migrant families in Australia (Article) (Open Access)

Gibbs L.* , Waters E. , Christian B. , Gold L. , Young D. , De Silva A. , Calache H. , Gussy M. , Watt R. , Riggs E. , Tadic M. , Hall M. , Gondal I. , Pradel V. , Moore L.
  • a Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
  • b Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
  • c Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
  • d Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
  • e Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia, Merri Community Health Services, Brunswick, VIC, Australia
  • f Dental Health Services Victoria, Carlton, VIC, Australia, Melbourne Dental Health School, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
  • g Dental Health Services Victoria, Carlton, VIC, Australia
  • h Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC, Australia
  • i Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
  • j Healthy Mothers Healthy Families Research Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Carlton, VIC, Australia
  • k Merri Community Health Services, Brunswick, VIC, Australia
  • l North Richmond Community Health Limited, Richmond, VIC, Australia
  • m Internet Commerce Security Lab, Federation University Australia and Pakistan Australia Association Melbourne, Caulfield, VIC, Australia
  • n Merri Community Health Services, Brunswick, VIC, Australia
  • o MRC, CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

Objectives: The Teeth Tales trial aimed to establish a model for child oral health promotion for culturally diverse communities in Australia. Design: An exploratory trial implementing a communitybased child oral health promotion intervention for Australian families from migrant backgrounds. Mixed method, longitudinal evaluation. Setting: The intervention was based in Moreland, a culturally diverse locality in Melbourne, Australia. Participants: Families with 1-4-year-old children, self-identified as being from Iraqi, Lebanese or Pakistani backgrounds residing in Melbourne. Participants residing close to the intervention site were allocated to intervention. Intervention: The intervention was conducted over 5 months and comprised community oral health education sessions led by peer educators and follow-up health messages. Outcome measures: This paper reports on the intervention impacts, process evaluation and descriptive analysis of health, knowledge and behavioural changes 18 months after baseline data collection. Results: Significant differences in the Debris Index (OR=0.44 (0.22 to 0.88)) and the Modified Gingival Index (OR=0.34 (0.19 to 0.61)) indicated increased tooth brushing and/or improved toothbrushing technique in the intervention group. An increased proportion of intervention parents, compared to those in the comparison group reported that they had been shown how to brush their child's teeth (OR=2.65 (1.49 to 4.69)). Process evaluation results highlighted the problems with recruitment and retention of the study sample (275 complete case families). The child dental screening encouraged involvement in the study, as did linking attendance with other community/cultural activities. Conclusions: The Teeth Tales intervention was promising in terms of improving oral hygiene and parent knowledge of tooth brushing technique. Adaptations to delivery of the intervention are required to increase uptake and likely impact. A future cluster randomised controlled trial would provide strongest evidence of effectiveness if appropriate to the community, cultural and economic context.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Parents Pakistan longitudinal study Cost benefit analysis health promotion Australia follow up human Longitudinal Studies Iraq health status mouth hygiene comparative study dental health education ethnology tooth brushing procedures dental procedure Health Education, Dental Lebanon Humans migrant family parent male female preschool child Infant Child, Preschool dental caries Article health education migration Transients and Migrants behavior change Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84937239407&doi=10.1136%2fbmjopen-2014-007321&partnerID=40&md5=f06b50cf859051547e6cef4c9eeab1d4
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007321
ISSN: 20446055
Cited by: 11
Original Language: English