Brumley D E, Hawks R W, Gillcrist J A, Blackford J U, Wells W W
Tennessee Department of Health, South Central Regional Health Office, 1216 Trotwood Avenue, Columbia, TN 38401-4899, USA.
J Public Health Dent. 2001 Winter;61(1):28-33. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2001.tb03352.x.
This paper describes the community diagnosis process and how it was used to implement community water fluoridation in Tennessee.
Public health dental staff developed a survey instrument to collect community-specific data on the oral health status of schoolchildren. Key survey findings were presented to county health councils who were determining and prioritizing the health needs of their communities.
Community-specific data showed higher caries levels in children without access to an optimally fluoridated community water supply. Presentation of local survey findings to county health councils resulted in fluoridation being a high-priority health issue in several counties. With health council support, opposition to fluoridation by utility district officials was overcome when decision makers were challenged with local survey findings. The community diagnosis process resulted in the successful fluoridation of six community water systems serving a total of 33,000 residents.
The community diagnosis approach was successful in implementing community water fluoridation in geographic areas historically opposed to this public health measure. The success of these fluoridation initiatives was attributed to: (1) current, community-specific assessments of children's oral health; (2) identification of communities with disparate oral health needs, problems, and resources; and (3) effective presentation of community-specific oral health survey data to community leaders, stakeholders, and decision makers.
本文描述了社区诊断过程以及它如何被用于在田纳西州实施社区水氟化项目。
公共卫生牙科工作人员开发了一种调查工具，以收集关于学童口腔健康状况的特定社区数据。关键调查结果被提交给县卫生委员会，这些委员会正在确定其社区的健康需求并对其进行优先级排序。
特定社区数据显示，无法获得最佳氟化社区供水的儿童龋齿水平较高。向县卫生委员会展示当地调查结果后，水氟化在几个县成为高度优先的健康问题。在卫生委员会的支持下，当决策者面对当地调查结果时，公用事业区官员对水氟化的反对被克服。社区诊断过程使六个社区供水系统成功实现水氟化，共惠及33000名居民。
社区诊断方法在历史上反对这项公共卫生措施的地理区域成功实施了社区水氟化。这些水氟化举措的成功归因于：（1）对儿童口腔健康进行当前的、特定社区的评估；（2）识别口腔健康需求、问题和资源不同的社区；（3）向社区领袖、利益相关者和决策者有效展示特定社区的口腔健康调查数据。
