O impacto da intervenção comunitária na literacia em saúde oral de comunidades apoiadas pela Cáritas Diocesana de Viseu

Abstract

Objectives: To characterize the oral health of families monitored by Cáritas Diocesana de Viseu. Materials and Methods: An observational, quantitative, descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out. The data collection instrument consisted of a characterization of oral health, sociodemographic conditions and behaviours related to oral health, a unified data collection questionnaire containing the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) criteria, the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). The sample consisted of 40 people who were part of the Cáritas de Portugal social support network in the Viseu district. Results: 62.5% of the sample had biofilm and 55.0% had "High" caries experience. As for the oral health impact profile (OHIP), the average score was between 4.95 points (Disadvantage) and 6.75 points (Physical pain), with an overall average score of 38.73 points, with higher averages in the "Physical pain" domain (average=6.75±2.71) and the "Psychological discomfort" domain (average=5.78±2.81), suggesting that it was in these domains that the participants showed the worst OHRQoL. Statistically significant differences between participants with "High" caries experience (p>0.05) both in the Child domain (OM=24.36) and in the total ECOHIS (OM=24.57), where they scored higher, as well as scoring higher in the Family domain (OM=23.61). Statistically significant differences between caries experience, the overall score and the OHIP domains (p>0.05) and in the total OHIP, with higher scores for participants with "High" caries experience. Conclusion: These results suggest that dentists need to be closer to the most vulnerable communities, as this is a strategy to empower people and give them knowledge towards oral health literacy.

Date of Award	13 Dec 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nélio Jorge Veiga (Supervisor) & Maria José Correia (Co-Supervisor)