Effect of the oral health care program (FUNDEE) on the oral health care behavior status of elderly ethnic groups living in rural areas: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

The oral health of elderly people plays a major role in their overall health and quality of life and is an integral part of personal care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of implementing the oral health care program on the oral health status of elderly people living in rural areas. This quasi-experimental study was carried out using a pretest-posttest design on 60 elderly people (30 in the intervention group and 30 in the control group) residing in two randomly selected rural areas of lower-northern Thailand. In the intervention group, the “FUNDEE” model was applied to Hmong elderly people for 12 weeks. The control group received routine care. Using the oral health care behavior assessment tool, the oral health behavior status of elderly people was assessed in both groups on two occasions: a pretest at the onset of the study, and the 12th week after the start of the study. The oral health behavior status of the elderly people in both groups was not statistically significantly different at the baseline, but it changed significantly at the 12th week (p<0.01). The implementation of the “FUNDEE” model for elderly people residing in rural areas may improve their oral health status after 12 weeks. It is recommended that the “FUNDEE” model be included in the care plans of all rural areas to improve the elderly people’s oral health behavior status.