Development of an Oral Health Care Model for Preschool Children in Somdet Child Development Center of Somdet Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Somdet District, Kalasin Province

Abstract

This action research aimed to develop an oral health care model for preschool children in child care centers. It was developed through a participatory process involving 24 individuals engaged in the oral health care of preschool children. Data were collected from the target group, which comprised parents and preschoolers, with each group consisting of 55 individuals. The research instruments included questionnaires assessing knowledge of oral health care, parental attitudes towards oral health, parental behavior regarding oral health, plaque index, and an oral hygiene survey and observation guideline. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, inference statistics to compare differences via paired sample t-tests and Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank tests, and qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The study's results revealed that the oral health care model was developed using the PAOR process, which consists of two phases: the preparation phase involving the study of the context and problem analysis, and the research phase consisting of four steps: holding a workshop, taking action, supervision, and evaluation, along with drawing conclusions and making suggestions. The oral health care model comprises four activities: teacher education training, parent education training, establishment of guidelines for oral health care in preschool child care centers, and evaluation of the implementation of oral health care activities for preschool children in these centers. Quantitative results showed that after development, parents exhibited a statistically significant increase in median knowledge scores and average values of dental care behavior scores, while preschool children had a significantly lower mean plaque index with statistical significance. Key success factors in the development process included community involvement in formulating operational policies, as well as follow-up and evaluation to achieve the set goals.