Análise do impacto da formação em saúde oral nos cuidadores institucionais

Abstract

Introduction: Oral health is an integral and essential part of overall health, especially in dependent elderly individuals, where oral hygiene becomes even more crucial. In this context, caregivers play a fundamental role in ensuring good oral health for the elderly under their care. Therefore, it is imperative that these caregivers are adequately informed about the oral changes resulting from aging and the factors that can contribute to pathological changes. By prioritizing oral health, caregivers can significantly contribute to the quality of life and overall well-being of the dependent elderly they serve. The realization of the present study will allow for: 1) Validation of the Dental Coping Beliefs Scale for the Portuguese population; 2) Definition and application of the most appropriate strategies for intervention in oral health literacy among caregivers; 3) Conducting a second phase of evaluation to analyze the impact of oral health literacy interventions on institutional caregivers. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study with a sample consisting of institutional caregivers collaborating with Santa Casa da Misericórdia. The study includes a sample of 44 institutional caregivers. A training session on "Oral Health Care" was conducted, and the questionnaire used in the first phase was reapplied to evaluate the impact of the training. The training covered awareness of oral health, prevention of oral diseases, and oral hygiene instructions. Additionally, oral hygiene support materials were distributed. Results: The results of this study revealed significant changes in the behaviors and knowledge of institutional caregivers regarding oral health after the training. There was a substantial increase in the appreciation of continuous education, evidenced by the increased understanding of proper oral hygiene practices and the prevention of oral diseases. Statistical analysis of the data, including mean and correlation analysis, indicated a statistically significant increase in knowledge about the importance of proper brushing and dental caries prevention, with 84.1% of caregivers strongly agreeing with these practices. The Cronbach's alpha for the 28 items in the questionnaire was 0.942, indicating that the instrument demonstrated good performance in terms of validity and internal reliability with 28 items. Therefore, the Dental Coping Beliefs Scale – PT can be applied as it presents satisfactory psychometric properties for use among Portuguese adults, making it perfectly applicable to institutional caregivers. Conclusion Institutions lack specific guidelines for oral hygiene. Although institutional caregivers possess knowledge in health and oral hygiene, this knowledge is not specifically directed towards dependent elderly individuals, highlighting the need for continuous, targeted training to promote the oral health of the elderly.

Date of Award	19 Jul 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nélio Jorge Veiga (Supervisor), Patrícia Couto (Co-Supervisor) & Patrícia Nunes Correia (Co-Supervisor)