Centre for Oral Health Outcomes and Research Translation (COHORT), School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University/South Western Sydney Local Health District / Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, 2170, NSW, Australia.
IMPACCT - Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, 2007, NSW, Australia.
Int J Equity Health. 2020 Oct 23;19(1):187. doi: 10.1186/s12939-020-01301-5.
In Australia, models of care have been developed to train antenatal care providers to promote oral health among pregnant women. However, these models are underpinned by Western values of maternity care that do not consider the cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of Aboriginal health staff towards oral health care during pregnancy. It is part of a larger program of research to develop a new, culturally safe model of oral health care for Aboriginal women during pregnancy.
A descriptive qualitative methodology informed the study. Focus groups were convened to yarn with Aboriginal Health Workers, Family Partnership Workers and Aboriginal management staff at two antenatal health services in Sydney, Australia.
A total of 14 people participated in the focus groups. There were four themes that were constructed. These focused on Aboriginal Health Workers and Family Partnership Workers identifying their role in promoting maternal oral health, where adequate training is provided and where trust has been developed with clients. Yet, because the Aboriginal health staff work in a system fundamentally driven by the legacy of colonisation, it has significantly contributed to the systemic barriers Aboriginal pregnant women continue to face in accessing health services, including dental care. The participants recommended that a priority dental referral pathway, that supported continuity of care, could provide increased accessibility to dental care.
The Aboriginal health staff identified the potential role of Aboriginal Health Workers and Family Partnership Workers promoting oral health among Aboriginal pregnant women. To develop an effective oral health model of care among Aboriginal women during pregnancy, there is the need for training of Aboriginal Health Workers and Family Partnership Workers in oral health. Including Aboriginal staff at every stage of a dental referral pathway could reduce the fear of accessing mainstream health institutions and also promote continuity of care. Although broader oral health policies still need to be changed, this model could mitigate some of the barriers between Aboriginal women and both dental care providers and healthcare systems.
在澳大利亚，已经开发出护理模式来培训产前保健提供者，以促进孕妇的口腔健康。然而，这些模式是基于西方的产妇保健价值观，没有考虑到土著和托雷斯海峡岛民妇女的文化需求。本研究旨在探讨土著卫生工作者对孕妇口腔保健的看法和经验。这是一个更大的研究计划的一部分，旨在为土著妇女在怀孕期间开发一种新的、文化安全的口腔保健模式。
描述性定性方法为这项研究提供了信息。在澳大利亚悉尼的两个产前保健服务中心，召集了焦点小组与土著卫生工作者、家庭伙伴工作者和土著管理人员进行交流。
共有 14 人参加了焦点小组。构建了四个主题。这些主题集中在土著卫生工作者和家庭伙伴工作者如何确定他们在促进产妇口腔健康方面的角色，包括提供充分的培训和与客户建立信任。然而，由于土著卫生工作人员在一个基本上由殖民化遗产驱动的系统中工作，这极大地促成了土著孕妇在获得医疗服务方面持续面临的系统障碍，包括牙科护理。参与者建议建立一个优先的牙科转诊途径，支持连续护理，可以提高获得牙科护理的可及性。
土著卫生工作人员确定了土著卫生工作者和家庭伙伴工作者在促进土著孕妇口腔健康方面的潜在作用。要在土著妇女怀孕期间开发有效的口腔保健模式，需要对土著卫生工作者和家庭伙伴工作者进行口腔健康培训。在牙科转诊途径的每个阶段都包括土著工作人员，可以减少对主流医疗机构的恐惧，也可以促进连续护理。尽管还需要更广泛的口腔卫生政策，但这种模式可以减轻土著妇女与牙科保健提供者和医疗保健系统之间的一些障碍。
