Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia.
School of Public Health and the Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jan 20;19(3):1150. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19031150.
Despite the preventive nature of oral diseases and their significance for general wellbeing, poor oral health is highly prevalent and has unfavourable ramifications for children around the world. Indigenous children in Australia experience disproportionate rates of early childhood caries compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Therefore, this paper aims to collate parental experiences and generate an understanding of facilitators for Indigenous childhood oral health. This project aggregated stories from parents of Indigenous children across South Australia who were participants in an early childhood caries-prevention trial. This paper explores facilitators for establishing oral health and nutrition behaviours for Indigenous children under the age of three through reflexive thematic analysis. Fisher-Owens' conceptual model for influences on children's oral health is utilised as a framework for thematic findings. Child-level facilitators include oral hygiene routines and regular water consumption. Family-level facilitators include familial ties, importance of knowledge, and positive oral health beliefs. Community-level facilitators include generational teaching, helpful community resources, and holistic health care. Recommendations from findings include the following: exploration of Indigenous health workers and elder participation in oral health initiatives; inclusion of Indigenous community representatives in mainstream oral health discussions; and incorporation of child-level, family-level, and community-level facilitators to increase support for efficacious oral health programs.
尽管口腔疾病具有预防性质，对整体健康也很重要，但全球儿童的口腔健康状况仍然不佳，而且情况不容乐观。澳大利亚的土著儿童比非土著儿童更容易患上早期儿童龋病。因此，本文旨在收集家长的经验，并了解促进土著儿童口腔健康的因素。该项目汇集了南澳大利亚参加早期儿童龋病预防试验的土著儿童家长的故事。本文通过反思性主题分析探讨了促进三岁以下土著儿童建立口腔健康和营养行为的因素。Fisher-Owens 儿童口腔健康影响因素概念模型被用作主题发现的框架。儿童层面的促进因素包括口腔卫生习惯和定期饮水。家庭层面的促进因素包括家庭关系、知识的重要性和积极的口腔健康信念。社区层面的促进因素包括代际教学、有益的社区资源和整体医疗保健。调查结果建议包括：探索土著卫生工作者和长者参与口腔健康计划；将社区代表纳入主流口腔健康讨论；并纳入儿童层面、家庭层面和社区层面的促进因素，以增加对有效口腔健康计划的支持。
