Oral health professionals’ experiences and perspectives with oral health prevention in Somaliland: - A qualitative study
2021 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Dental caries has declined in high-income countries in the last 30 years but is on the rise in low-income countries, affecting both children and adults. Although oral health is an integral and vital part of general health, it is still a neglected global public health area despite oral diseases being the most common non-communicable diseases globally. Objectives: This study aimed to understand and describe oral health professionals' experiences and perspectives with oral health prevention in Somaliland. Methods: Qualitative study with semi-structured telephone interviews with oral health professionals (n = 9). Subjects were recruited through convenience, and snowball sampling process, and data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes were identified: (1) insufficient awareness and traditional beliefs, (2) the government's limitations, and (3) strategies to improve oral health prevention. Limited oral health knowledge and low health literacy contributed to the high prevalence of dental caries. Additionally, the government's limitations constrain efforts to promote healthy living standards, aggravating the population's oral health and country’s substandard oral healthcare system. Preventative efforts targeting the most vulnerable in Somaliland and improving educational attainment in the country, with focus on mothers, were strategies raised to improve the populations’ oral health. Conclusion: With limited resources, investing and focusing on primary prevention is advisable. The available research on oral health was mainly based on data from high-income countries; thus, more research is required. National oral health surveys and baseline data are necessary to plan context- and cultural-appropriate oral health programs relevant for Somaliland.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2021. , p. 60
Keywords [en]
Dental caries, dentists, low-income countries, oral health, public health, qualitative research
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-42548OAI: oai:DiVA.org:miun-42548DiVA, id: diva2:1577842
Subject / course
Public health Science FH1
Educational program
Master Programme in Health Science VHÄAA 120 higher education credits
Supervisors
Examiners
Note
Betyg i Ladok 210603.
2021-07-052021-07-052021-07-05Bibliographically approved