Impact of Oral Health Education on the Knowledge, Behaviors, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy of Caregivers for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Purpose: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have a higher risk of oral disease and require assistance in performing oral self-care. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of an oral health education program in improving caregivers’ oral health knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and self-efficacy in providing oral health care to clients with IDD, residing in intermediate care facilities.

Methods: A non-probability sample of new hire caregivers (n=47) for clients with IDD residing in an intermediate care facility was used for this quasi-experimental study. A one-group repeated measures design was used to explore the effectiveness of an oral health education program. All variables were examined using summary statistics and evaluated for normality and statistical assumptions.

Results: Forty-seven participants attended the oral health education program intervention and completed the pre- and post-intervention questionnaire. Seventy percent (n=33) completed the four-week post-questionnaire. A statistically significant (p=0.004) improvement in knowledge between the baseline questionnaire and four-week questionnaire was identified. Findings demonstrated slight increases in knowledge for caregivers with <1 year experience, and in those with previous medical training. No significant differences were found in behaviors or attitudes from baseline to the four-week follow up, however, there was a trend toward positive behavior changes.

Conclusion: Increased knowledge alone is not adequate to bring about and maintain positive oral health behavior change. Longer-term caregiver interventions, in addition to on-site support for oral care, are warranted to evaluate outcomes for individuals with IDD with the goal of reducing the burden of oral disease.