Abstract
BackgroundIndigenous Australians suffer substantially poorer oral health than their non-Indigenous counterparts and new approaches are needed to address these disparities. Previous work in Port Augusta, South Australia, a regional town with a large Indigenous community, revealed associations between low oral health literacy scores and self-reported oral health outcomes. This study aims to determine if implementation of a functional, context-specific oral health literacy intervention improves oral health literacy-related outcomes measured by use of dental services, and assessment of oral health knowledge, oral health self-care and oral health- related self-efficacy.Methods/designThis is a randomised controlled trial (RCT) that utilises a delayed intervention design. Participants are Indigenous adults, aged 18 years and older, who plan to reside in Port Augusta or a nearby community for the next two years. The intervention group will receive the intervention from the outset of the study while the control group will be offered the intervention 12 months following their enrolment in the study. The intervention consists of a series of five culturally sensitive, oral health education workshops delivered over a 12 month period by Indigenous project officers. Workshops consist of presentations, hands-on activities, interactive displays, group discussions and role plays. The themes addressed in the workshops are underpinned by oral health literacy concepts, and incorporate oral health-related self-efficacy, oral health-related fatalism, oral health knowledge, access to dental care and rights and entitlements as a patient. Data will be collected through a self-report questionnaire at baseline, at 12 months and at 24 months. The primary outcome measure is oral health literacy. Secondary outcome measures include oral health knowledge, oral health self-care, use of dental services, oral health-related self-efficacy and oral health-related fatalism.DiscussionThis study uses a functional, context-specific oral health literacy intervention to improve oral health literacy-related outcomes amongst rural-dwelling Indigenous adults. Outcomes of this study will have implications for policy and planning by providing evidence for the effectiveness of such interventions as well as provide a model for working with Indigenous communities.
Highlights
Indigenous Australians suffer substantially poorer oral health than their non-Indigenous counterparts and new approaches are needed to address these disparities
Indigenous Australians include people who identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, representing 2.5% of the total Australian population in 2006 [1]
The majority of Indigenous Australians live outside major cities, with 43% living in regional and 25% in remote areas
Summary
This study will be the first study using a functional, context-specific oral health literacy intervention to improve oral health literacy-related outcomes amongst rural-dwelling Indigenous adults in Australia. The work of the Indigenous project officers, who are considered community champions, has enhanced the acceptability of the study to the local community, increased the potential for participant involvement and begun to build local research capacity. Author details 1Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, School of Dentistry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia 5005. HM co-ordinated the pilot study, manages the parent project and was involved in manuscript preparation. LJ participated in study design, ethics applications, data management and participated in manuscript preparation. All authors were involved in revising the manuscript for important intellectual content and read and approved the final manuscript
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