Bogner Marie-Sophie, Scambler Sasha, Eschevins Caroline, Faulks Denise
Centre de Recherche en Odontologie Clinique, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2025 Feb;53(1):77-89. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.13008. Epub 2024 Oct 10.
This qualitative study aimed to explore the experience and perception of the mouth, oral health, functioning and the social environment amongst adults with disabilities and complex health conditions.
Purposive sampling using the maximum variation strategy was performed to select participants with a wide range of experiences in terms of demographics, disability and health conditions. Consent was sought, and semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded and transcribed verbatim. Within the interpretivist tradition, a phenomenological approach was used to describe the lived, contextualised experience of people in relation to their mouths, as described by participants. Thematic analysis was undertaken.
Eighteen participants with disabilities and complex health conditions were interviewed. Twelve individuals had an intellectual disability. Three main themes were identified: perception of the mouth and oral health; symptomatic perceptions and responses to oral health problems; and inter-relationships between the mouth, oral health and the socio-medical environment. The mouth had a central place in the lives of the participants, but its importance was only recognised when oral health problems interfered with daily life, function, social relationships, family life or autonomy. Certain social determinants of health were identified: social exclusion, financial insecurity, lack of autonomy, nutrition and negotiation of services. Oral problems were perceived as an additional burden to those with disabilities or complex health conditions.
This study provided insight into the daily lives of adults with disabilities and complex health conditions. It helps to fill the gaps in the existing literature regarding the perceptions of the mouth and oral health, connecting oral function, general health and social environment for this population.
This study was registered into ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04815434).
本定性研究旨在探索残疾及健康状况复杂的成年人对口腔、口腔健康、功能以及社会环境的体验和认知。
采用最大差异策略进行目的抽样，以选取在人口统计学、残疾状况和健康状况方面具有广泛经历的参与者。征得同意后，进行了半结构化访谈，并进行录音和逐字转录。在解释主义传统内，采用现象学方法来描述参与者所描述的人们与口腔相关的真实情境化体验。进行了主题分析。
对18名残疾及健康状况复杂的参与者进行了访谈。其中12人有智力残疾。确定了三个主要主题：对口腔和口腔健康的认知；对口腔健康问题的症状感知及反应；口腔、口腔健康与社会医疗环境之间的相互关系。口腔在参与者的生活中占据核心地位，但只有当口腔健康问题干扰到日常生活、功能、社会关系、家庭生活或自主权时，其重要性才会被认识到。确定了某些健康的社会决定因素：社会排斥、经济不安全、缺乏自主权、营养以及服务协商。口腔问题被视为残疾或健康状况复杂者的额外负担。
本研究深入了解了残疾及健康状况复杂的成年人的日常生活。它有助于填补现有文献中关于口腔和口腔健康认知方面的空白，将该人群的口腔功能、总体健康和社会环境联系起来。
本研究已在ClinicalTrials.gov（NCT04815434）注册。
