Effectiveness of Dental Caregiver Training Program on Knowledge, Attitude, and Skills in Oral Health Care for Bedridden Patients

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study, employing a one-group pretest-posttest design, aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a dental caregiver development program on the oral healthcare practices of bedridden patients. A sample of 26 participants was selected using purposive sampling. The intervention was based on the Self-Efficacy Theory and included educational activities, oral health examination demonstrations, hands-on practice, and group-based learning exchanges. The research instruments consisted of questionnaires assessing oral health knowledge, attitudes, and caregiving skills for bedridden patients. The reliability coefficients of the instruments were 0.89, 0.71, and 0.75, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation), as well as the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

           The findings showed that after participating in the program, the caregivers had significantly higher mean scores in oral health knowledge (M = 12.42, SD = 0.85), attitudes toward oral health care (M = 2.69, SD = 0.16), and caregiving skills (M = 26.65, SD = 3.22), compared to their pre-intervention scores (p < .001).

These results suggest that the program can serve as a model for developing short-term training modules for village health volunteers (VHVs). Furthermore, sub-district health-promoting hospitals (SHPHs) can consider integrating this program into routine home visit services or care for bedridden patients.