Development of Health Oral Health Literacy Model about Oral Cancer Prevention of Older Adults in the 4TH Regional Health Ministry of Public Health
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Abstract
Oral cancer affects the quality of life of older adults. This study aimed to develop a model of oral health literacy for oral cancer prevention among older adults in Health Region 4, Thailand. This study employed a three-phase mixed-methods research design: (1) problem diagnosis and needs assessment. Quantitative data were collected from 372 older adults, while qualitative data were obtained from 18 participants, including dentists, dental auxiliaries, village health volunteers, and community leaders.
(2) model development and (3) model evaluation, the intervention involved an experimental group (n = 40) over four weeks with a two-week follow-up, totaling six weeks. Research instruments included oral health literacy for oral cancer prevention questionnaire, in-depth interview guide and seven learning activities, comprising: accessing health information, understanding oral health information, communicating and interacting, decision-making, sharing health information, modifying health behaviors, and self-oral examination for oral cancer prevention. Each activity lasted approximately 30 minutes. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way repeated measures ANOVA, and content analysis. Results showed that before the intervention, older adults exhibited moderate level of oral health literacy, with an overall mean score of 1.50 ± 0.42. After participating in the seven learning activities, the mean OHL score significantly increased (p < 0.05). The developed oral health literacy model effectively enhanced oral health literacy for oral cancer prevention in this sample.
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