scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Oral Health Promotion: Content Review and Heuristic Usability Analysis (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooks Tiffany ◽  
Paula Blasi ◽  
Sheryl L Catz ◽  
Jennifer B McClure
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Oral Disease ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Mhealth Apps

BACKGROUND There has been an increase in consumer-facing mobile health (mHealth) apps in recent years. Prior reviews have characterized the availability, usability, or quality of popular mHealth apps targeting a range of health behaviors, but none has examined apps that promote better oral health care. Oral disease affects billions of people worldwide and mobile phone use is on the rise, so the market for well-designed and effective oral health apps is substantial. OBJECTIVE We examined the content and usability of popular oral health promotion apps to better understand the current state of these self-help interventions and inform the need and opportunity for future app development. METHODS Between February and March 2018, we identified oral health-focused apps that were designed for Android or iOS, available in English, and targeted adult consumers (as opposed to children or dental health professionals). The sample was limited to the most popular and highly rated apps on each platform. For each app reviewed, we assessed its basic descriptive characteristics (eg, platform, cost), evidence of a theoretical basis or empirical validation, key program functionality, and the extent to which the app addressed diet and tobacco and alcohol use as risk factors for oral disease. We characterized the framing (ie, gain vs loss) of all persuasive messaging and conducted a heuristic analysis to assess each app’s usability as a persuasive health technology. RESULTS Thirty-three apps were eligible for review based on the selection criteria. Two-thirds (22/33, 67%) were geared toward the general public as opposed to dental clinic patients, insurance plan members, or owners of specific electric toothbrushes. Most (31/33, 94%) were free to download, and a majority (19/33, 58%) were sponsored by software developers as opposed to oral health experts. None offered any theoretical basis for the content or had been empirically validated. Common program features included tools for tracking or reminding one to brush their teeth and assistance scheduling dental appointments. Nineteen apps (58%) included educational or persuasive content intended to influence oral health behavior. Only 32% (6/19) of these included a larger proportion of gain-framed than loss-framed messaging. Most of the apps did not mention diet, alcohol or tobacco—important risk factors for oral disease. Overall, the apps performed poorly on standard usability heuristics recommended for persuasive health technologies. CONCLUSIONS The quality of the reviewed apps was generally poor. Important opportunities exist to develop oral health promotion apps that have theoretically grounded content, are empirically validated, and adhere to good design principles for persuasive health technologies.

Oral health promotion apps: an assessment of message and behaviour change potential

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine H KACZMARCZYK ◽  
Kara A GRAY-BURROWS ◽  
Karen VINALL-COLLIER ◽  
Peter F DAY
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Theoretical Domains Framework ◽  
Health Messages ◽  
Behaviour Change Technique ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Change Technique

Abstract Background Oral health worldwide needs improving: untreated dental caries is the most common health condition affecting people globally. Mobile applications (apps) have potential to provide preventative oral health interventions. This study aimed to investigate the quality of available oral health promotion apps, assessing information provided and the barriers to oral health addressed using psychological frameworks. Methods A content assessment of oral health promotion apps targeted at adults in the UK iTunes store was conducted. The quality of 22 apps was assessed against 3 objective indices derived from the Delivering Better Oral Health toolkit, Theoretical Domains Framework and Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy. Index scores were calculated and descriptive analyses were completed. Results On average, four Delivering Better Oral Health messages, seven Theoretical Domains Framework components and eight Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy components were addressed per app. The most common components were: ‘take at least two minutes to brush’ for the Delivering Better Oral Health index, ‘goals’ and ‘intentions’ for the Theoretical Domains Framework index and ‘goal setting (behaviour)’ for the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy index. Conclusion The quality of information available in oral health apps requires improvement with the majority addressing only a few barriers to oral health. Currently, there is no recognized scale for evaluating oral health apps: this study provides a suggested method for future app evaluation. There is opportunity for a new app to be created based on health behaviour change theory which includes all the Delivering Better Oral Health messages.

Effects of oral health promotion programmes on adolescents’ oral health‐related quality of life: A systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aretuza Pires dos Santos Lattanzi ◽  
Flávia Maia Silveira ◽  
Ludmila Guimarães ◽  
Lívia Azeredo Alves Antunes ◽  
Leonardos Santos Antunes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

scholarly journals Addressing oral health-related quality of life of the elderly – A Oral health promotion approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A James
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Institutionalized Elderly ◽  
Health Quality ◽  
Health Quality Of Life

Abstract Background Older people are representative of the vulnerable population. According to census 2011, the proportion of elderly in India is 8.6%. Owing to social transformation and evolving lifestyles, the number of old age homes is increasing rapidly with institutionalized elderly having poorer oral health status. This study was conducted to assess the situation among the sample of institutions meant for the elderly and to plan relevant intervention, policy development aligning with principles of health promotion to improve the oral health quality of life. Methods A mixed-method study was adopted after approval from the institutional ethical board. To plan an appropriate intervention, situation analysis was done by conducting in-depth interviews, administrating questionnaires and direct observation. The intervention was planned based on the data obtained by building healthy public policy by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between institutions, distribution of oral hygiene aids, oral health education, and demonstration of oral hygiene techniques. Institutionalized elderly selected for intervention in an old age home were 82. At baseline, oral health quality of life was assessed using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). After 3 months follow-up, Paired t-tests were used to compare baseline and follow-up data. Results Qualitative data on thematic analysis revealed that administrators highlighted on fiscal, economic, administrative, personnel, ethical aspects of policy instrument and type of oral health care services to be provided. Quantitative results showed that mean and SD for the pre and post GOHAI score was 1.6 ± 0.41 and 3.06 ± 0.80 (P < 0.001) Conclusions Oral health promotion approach to address challenges and issues at the community level appears a more promising approach as it facilitates a systematic process and more comprehensive. Policy initiatives with stakeholders brought a sustainable improvement of oral health quality of life. Key messages Ottawa charter model oral health promotion based intervention with the coordination of stakeholders helps in improving functional ability and intrinsic capacity of institutionalized elderly. To improve the quality of life among institutionalized elderly there is a need for transformation of health systems away from disease based curative models to comprehensive health care models.

scholarly journals Oral health status in 12 and 15-year-old schoolchildren

2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
Milena Milanovic ◽  
Nikolina Bogdanovic ◽  
Milica Jaksic ◽  
Minja Milicic-Lazic
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Preventive Treatment ◽  
Oral Health Status ◽  
Oral Disease ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Oral Diseases ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Dental Tissues

Introduction. Dental caries is, along with periodontitis, the most frequent oral disease and represents a chronic, progressive, multifactorial process that leads to loss of hard dental tissues. The oral health status analysis and caries risk factors assessment in early childhood and adolescence are necessary for creating strategies in oral health promotion and preventive treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate caries prevalence in 12 and 15-year-old schoolchildren in Cukarica, a municipality of Belgrade. Material and method. The retrospective study included 409 schoolchildren of both genders. The oral health status was registered using the Klein-Palmer DMFT system (D - Decayed, M - Missing, F - Filled teeth). The methods of descriptive statistics were performed and p-values lower than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results. The younger group included 214 children (52.3%) and the older group 195 (47.7%). Individual caries rate was higher in 15-year-old children (81.02%) comparing to 12-year-old (57%). The mean value of decayed teeth for all participants was 2.43 and of total DMFT was 8.99%. Conclusions. Oral health promotion programs gave positive results. Moreover, it is important to implement them in the underdeveloped regions of Serbia with an improvement of the oral health literacy of parents and raising awareness of oral diseases.

scholarly journals A salutogenic approach to oral health promotion

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (suppl 4) ◽  
pp. s521-s530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andréa Neiva da Silva ◽  
Maria Helena Magalhães de Mendonça ◽  
Mario Vianna Vettore
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Supportive Environments ◽  
Personal Skills ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Relationship

Theoretical frameworks on health promotion focusing on social determinants of oral health have highlighted promising approaches for improving the oral health of populations and reducing inequities in oral health. In the last two decades the salutogenic theory has gained ground in the field of health promotion, but not in oral health promotion. Instead of focusing on risk factors and behavior change, the theory highlights the importance of resources and the ability to use them. The model's central construct, sense of coherence (SOC), suggests explanations of the relationship between life stressors and health status. The stronger the SOC, the more successfully people will cope with stressors and thus maintain their health. This paper discusses the potential of the salutogenic theory to guide the development of actions in the five fields of oral health promotion: creating supportive environments; promoting health through public policy; strengthening community action; developing personal skills; and reorienting health services. The theory can serve as a framework for oral health promotion measures that strengthen the available resources, create better ones, and enable people to identify and benefit from them.

scholarly journals Needs-led human resource planning for Sierra Leone in support of oral health

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Swapnil Gajendra Ghotane ◽  
Patric Don-Davis ◽  
David Kamara ◽  
Paul R. Harper ◽  
Stephen J. Challacombe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Preventive Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Oral Disease ◽  
Treatment Needs ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Low Income Country

Abstract Background In Sierra Leone (SL), a low-income country in West Africa, dental care is very limited, largely private, and with services focused in the capital Freetown. There is no formal dental education. Ten dentists supported by a similar number of dental care professionals (DCPs) serve a population of over 7.5 million people. The objective of this research was to estimate needs-led requirements for dental care and human resources for oral health to inform capacity building, based on a national survey of oral health in SL. Methods A dedicated operational research (OR) decision tool was constructed in Microsoft Excel to support this project. First, total treatment needs were estimated from our national epidemiological survey data for three key ages (6, 12 and 15 years), collected using the ‘International Caries Classification and Management System (ICCMS)’ tool. Second, oral health needs were extrapolated to whole population levels for each year-group, based on census demographic data. Third, full time equivalent (FTE) workforce capacity needs were estimated for mid-level providers in the form of Dental Therapists (DTs) and non-dental personnel based on current oral disease management approaches and clinical timings for treatment procedures. Fourth, informed by an expert panel, three oral disease management scenarios were explored for the national population: (1) Conventional care (CC): comprising oral health promotion (including prevention), restorations and tooth extraction; (2) Surgical and Preventive care (S5&6P and S6P): comprising oral health promotion (inc. prevention) and tooth extraction (D5 and D6 together, & at D6 level only); and (3) Prevention only (P): consisting of oral health promotion (inc. prevention). Fifth, the findings were extrapolated to the whole population based on demography, assuming similar levels of treatment need. Results To meet the needs of a single year-group of childrens’ needs, an average of 163 DTs (range: 133–188) would be required to deliver Conventional care (CC); 39 DTs (range: 30–45) to deliver basic Surgical and Preventive care (S6P); 54 DTs for more extended Surgical and Preventive care (S5&6P) (range 38–68); and 27 DTs (range: 25–32) to deliver Prevention only (P). When scaled up to the total population, an estimated 6,147 DTs (range: 5,565–6,870) would be required to deliver Conventional care (CC); 1,413 DTs (range: 1255–1438 DTs) to deliver basic Surgical and Preventive care (S6P); 2,000 DTs (range 1590–2236) for more extended Surgical and Preventive care (S5&6P) (range 1590–2236); and 1,028 DTs to deliver Prevention only (P) (range: 1016–1046). Furthermore, if oral health promotion activities, including individualised prevention, could be delivered by non-dental personnel, then the remaining surgical care could be delivered by 385 DTs (range: 251–488) for the S6P scenario which was deemed as the minimum basic baseline service involving extracting all teeth with extensive caries into dentine. More realistically, 972 DTs (range: 586–1179) would be needed for the S5&6P scenario in which all teeth with distinctive and extensive caries into dentine are extracted. Conclusion The study demonstrates the huge dental workforce needs required to deliver even minimal oral health care to the Sierra Leone population. The gap between the current workforce and the oral health needs of the population is stark and requires urgent action. The study also demonstrates the potential for contemporary epidemiological tools to predict dental treatment needs and inform workforce capacity building in a low-income country, exploring a range of solutions involving mid-level providers and non-dental personnel.

scholarly journals Understanding Oral Health Promotion Needs and Opportunities of Tobacco Quitline Callers

2012 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer B. McClure ◽  
Karin R. Riggs ◽  
Jackie St. John ◽  
Barbara Cerutti ◽  
Susan Zbikowski
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Oral Disease ◽  
Dental Insurance ◽  
Health Promotion Intervention ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
The Past ◽  
Health Goals

Objective. Improving oral health and oral health care are important public health goals. Tobacco users and smokers are at particularly high risk for oral disease and warrant targeted intervention efforts. We assessed the need for and acceptability of targeting tobacco quitline callers for an oral health promotion intervention. Methods. We surveyed 816 Washington State Quitline callers to assess their oral health, relevant self-care behaviors, and interest in oral health promotion intervention. Results. Most respondents were female, cigarette smokers, of low socioeconomic status, with no dental insurance. Of the respondents, 79.3% ( n=647) had some or all of their natural teeth (e.g., dentate); however, most of these respondents failed to meet recommendations for daily oral hygiene (brushing and flossing) (83.9%, n=543) and had no dental visits in the past year (52.6%, n=340). Similar findings were observed among respondents with no insurance. Many respondents were interested in learning more about how to improve their oral health (57.4%, n=468), willing to speak with a quitline coach about improving their oral health (48.2%, n=393), and open to receiving additional oral health information by mail (62.7%, n=512) or the Internet (50.0%, n=408). People who were receptive to learning how to improve their oral health were significantly more likely to be nonwhite, have a low income, have no dental insurance, and not have visited a dentist in the past year. Conclusion. There is a need and an opportunity to target quitline callers for oral health promotion services, as those most in need of these services were open to receiving them.

scholarly journals Impact of a novel oral health promotion program on routine oral hygiene among socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers: results from a randomized semi-pragmatic trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 469-477
Author(s):  
Jennifer B McClure ◽  
Melissa L Anderson ◽  
Chloe Krakauer ◽  
Paula Blasi ◽  
Terry Bush ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Oral Hygiene ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Oral Disease ◽  
Health Promotion Program ◽  
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Promotion Program

Abstract Smokers are at high risk of oral disease and report sub-optimal oral hygiene. Improving smokers’ oral hygiene could reduce their future disease risk. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of a novel, multi-modal oral health promotion program (Oral Health 4 Life; OH4L) targeted to socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers and delivered through state-funded tobacco quitlines. Smokers (n = 718) were randomized to standard quitline care or standard care plus OH4L. OH4L recipients received a comprehensive behavioral intervention and were advised of the benefits of routine oral hygiene, encouraged to brush and floss daily (for better oral health and to manage cigarette cravings), and provided a toothbrush and floss. Participants were followed for 6 months to assess the intervention effects on routine oral hygiene (brushing and flossing) and changes in motivation and self-efficacy. Data were collected between 2015 and 2017. At 2-month follow-up, OH4L participants were more likely to meet the American Dental Association (ADA) recommendations for brushing twice daily (adjusted RR = 1.15 [1.04, 1.27], p = .006), flossing daily (adjusted RR = 1.20 [1.03, 1.39], p = .02), and for both brushing and flossing (adjusted RR = 1.33 [1.10, 1.61], p = .003). Daily flossing was more likely at 6-month follow-up (adjusted RR = 1.21 [1.04, 1.42], p = .02) among OH4L participants. The change in self-efficacy and motivation for daily flossing from baseline to 2 months was significantly greater among OH4L participants and mediated the intervention effect on flossing at 6 months. Integrating oral hygiene promotion with standard tobacco quitline services improved oral health self-care.

scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Oral Health Promotion: Content Review and Heuristic Usability Analysis

10.2196/11432 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. e11432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooks Tiffany ◽  
Paula Blasi ◽  
Sheryl L Catz ◽  
Jennifer B McClure
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Usability Analysis ◽  
Content Review
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