Department of Public Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Oral Health Centre of Expertise in Eastern Norway, Oslo, Norway.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Sep 18;24(1):1090. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11534-7.
There is little knowledge about home care services personnel competencies and beliefs concerning oral healthcare for home-dwelling, dependent older adults. This study aims to map oral healthcare beliefs among home care services personnel, and have the following question: How do the education level, years of work experience and training in oral health have impact on home care services personnel oral healthcare beliefs?
A cross-sectional study among home care services personnel working with older people receiving home care services was conducted across four municipalities in south-eastern Norway. The questionnaire consisted of background information (gender, education level, years of work experience, training in oral healthcare, employment status) and the nursing Dental Coping Beliefs scale. Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the Norwegian Centre for Research Data.
Two hundred and sixty-two homecare services personnel responded to the questionnaire, 16.5% males and 83.5% females; 40.5% had had training in oral healthcare. Home care services personnel believed that gum diseases and cavities can be prevented by dental flossing (61.4%) and toothbrushing (98.4%). 59% disagreed that preventing sickness and medicines from destroying teeth is impossible. However, the majority of the home care services personnel were uncertain about how oral mucosal disorders can be treated. Having more than three years of higher education was positively associated with being in higher quartiles of oral healthcare beliefs, and external locus of control, and having training in oral healthcare was positively associated with being in the lower quartiles of internal locus of control and self-efficacy dimensions. Males were more likely to be in the lower quartile of oral healthcare beliefs, which wasn't positive.
In the population studied, the home care services personnel beliefs about oral healthcare improved with an increasing level of education and having had training in oral healthcare. This suggests that home care services personnel need more education and training in oral healthcare.
对于家庭护理服务人员在口腔保健方面的能力和信念，尤其是对于居家、依赖的老年人，我们知之甚少。本研究旨在描绘家庭护理服务人员的口腔保健信念，并提出以下问题：教育水平、工作年限和口腔健康培训如何影响家庭护理服务人员的口腔保健信念？
在挪威东南部的四个城市进行了一项针对为接受家庭护理服务的老年人提供服务的家庭护理服务人员的横断面研究。问卷包括背景信息（性别、教育水平、工作年限、口腔保健培训、就业状况）和护理牙科应对信念量表。本研究已获得挪威研究数据中心的伦理批准。
262 名家庭护理服务人员对问卷做出了回应，其中 16.5%为男性，83.5%为女性；40.5%接受过口腔保健培训。家庭护理服务人员认为通过使用牙线（61.4%）和刷牙（98.4%）可以预防牙龈疾病和龋齿。59%的人不同意预防疾病和药物对牙齿的破坏是不可能的。然而，大多数家庭护理服务人员对如何治疗口腔黏膜疾病感到不确定。接受过三年以上高等教育与处于较高的口腔保健信念四分位区间呈正相关，与外部控制源呈正相关，接受过口腔保健培训与处于较低的内部控制源和自我效能维度四分位区间呈正相关。男性更有可能处于口腔保健信念的较低四分位区间，这并不是积极的。
在本研究人群中，家庭护理服务人员的口腔保健信念随着教育水平的提高和接受口腔保健培训而得到改善。这表明家庭护理服务人员需要更多的口腔保健教育和培训。
