An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Parents’ Views on a School Oral Health Program

Abstract

Introduction: School-based oral health programs enhance the oral health knowledge, practices and attitudes of children by employing oral health education, promotion, prevention, treatment and/or referral services to reduce the prevalence of oral diseases among school children. Periodic evaluation of School Oral Health Programs is essential to assess the impact of the program, its effectiveness, acceptability and to promote quality improvement. Objective: To explore the parents’ views on Asnani (My Teeth) School Oral Health Program. Materials and Methods: This descriptive, exploratory, cross sectional study was conducted among parents of children in public primary schools of Qatar, who had participated in Asnani (My Teeth) School Oral Health Program. Primary data on parents’ views, experiences, opinions and suggestions towards Asnani School Oral Health Program was obtained utilizing open-ended questionnaires. Thematic analysis was employed for the organization of the rich descriptive data, while deriving at themes which convey the explicit and implicit interpretation of the data collected. Results: Qualitative responses from 359 parents revealed five principal themes i.e. Perceived value, Reinforcement of Oral Health Education and Promotion, Frequent dental check-ups, Continuity of care and Additional school-based activities. Conclusion: Perceptions of parents regarding the Asnani School Oral Health Program disclosed in this study provide valuable insights about their acceptability of this school based oral health program. The results are also encouraging as the parents realize the importance of oral health for their children and recommended need for reinforcement of the oral health education and promotion.