Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
Tasmanian School of Medicine, College of Health & Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Aust J Rural Health. 2023 Jun;31(3):493-502. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12973. Epub 2023 Feb 24.
To explore the water fluoridation status of rural Victorian towns over 1000 population and document the oral health profile in the local government areas (LGAs) currently with no water fluoridation. To assist/inform future LGA planning, we describe a case study of a community-based co-design approach to increase access to fluoridated water in rural communities.
A descriptive design and a case study.
Rural Victorian towns over 1000 population.
Twenty-nine LGAs in rural areas.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): LGA water fluoridation status and oral health profiles.
Sixty-six (33%) of the 203 Victorian rural towns with >1000 population, representing 149 251 people, did not have access to fluoridated water. Towns in 29 rural LGAs were included with 62% without water fluoridation with many having higher than the Victorian average of preventable hospital admissions due to dental conditions in children aged 0-9 years. Over 50% of children aged 0-12 years living in these rural nonfluoridated LGAs had above-the-state average rates of decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT). In those aged 0-5 years, this was the highest with 78% above-the-state average. In the case study, meetings were well attended, and the group resolved to lobby for water fluoridation, which was successful.
Many Victorian rural towns do not have access to fluoridated water. A community-based co-design approach can dispel ill-informed concerns about dangers of water fluoridation to successfully lobby the state government to fluoridate the local water supply.
探索维多利亚州 1000 人以上农村城镇的水氟化状况，并记录当前未进行水氟化的地方政府管辖区（LGA）的口腔健康状况。为了协助/告知未来 LGA 的规划，我们描述了一种基于社区的共同设计方法的案例研究，以增加农村社区获得氟化水的机会。
描述性设计和案例研究。
维多利亚州 1000 人以上的农村城镇。
29 个农村 LGA。
LGA 水氟化状况和口腔健康状况。
在 203 个维多利亚州农村 1000 人以上的城镇中，有 66 个（33%）没有获得氟化水，代表 149251 人。有 29 个农村 LGA 的城镇被纳入其中，有 62%的城镇没有进行水氟化，许多城镇的儿童（0-9 岁）因牙科状况而导致的可预防住院人数高于维多利亚州的平均水平。在这些没有氟化水的农村 LGA 中，50%以上的 0-12 岁儿童的牙齿龋齿、缺失和填补率（dmft/DMFT）高于州平均水平。在 0-5 岁的儿童中，这一比例最高，为 78%，高于州平均水平。在案例研究中，会议的出席率很高，该团体决定游说争取氟化水供应，最终取得成功。
许多维多利亚州的农村城镇无法获得氟化水。基于社区的共同设计方法可以消除对水氟化危险的错误认知，成功游说州政府对当地的供水进行氟化。
