Preserving dental health in patients undergoing hemodialysis is crucial for enhancing quality of life. Nonetheless, interventions pertaining to oral health have not been adequately studied. The impact of a simultaneous intervention comprising oral health education and reminder cards remains ambiguous. The findings help to examine the effect of oral health interventions on the levels of oral health and chronic disease adherence in patients receiving hemodialysis treatment. The use of oral care education, reminder cards, and checklists related to oral health can prevent the neglect of oral care.
Preserving dental health in patients undergoing hemodialysis is crucial for enhancing quality of life. Nonetheless, interventions pertaining to oral health have not been adequately studied. The aim is to investigate the impact of oral care education and reminder cards concerning oral health on the oral health and illness adaptation of persons undergoing hemodialysis. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a single group, utilising pre-test and post-test measurements. The study included 82 individuals (aged ≥ 18 years) receiving treatment in the hemodialysis units of two different hospitals in Turkey. Sociodemographic and clinical information was obtained from medical records. The "Adaptation to Chronic Illness Scale" and the "Oral Assessment Guide" were employed to assess oral health and illness adaptation. A one-week intervention was conducted, using daily oral health reminder cards following oral care teaching. A significant difference was found between the mean oral health and illness adaptation levels in the pre-test (15.51±2.67; 84.37±9.14, respectively) and post-test (12.61±3.83; 86.26±9.66, respectively) scores (p=0.00). Oral health and treatment adherence were better after the use of oral care education and reminder cards (p=0.00). Daily tooth brushing frequency was a common factor influencing oral health and chronic disease adherence levels (p\<0.05). The mean scores for oral health and illness adaptation were moderately and negatively correlated before and after the intervention (sırasıyla r=-0.46, r=-0.52; p\<0.01). The findings help to examine the effect of oral health interventions on the levels of oral health and chronic disease adherence in patients receiving hemodialysis treatment. The use of oral care education, reminder cards, and checklists related to oral health can prevent the neglect of oral care.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
82
After the pre-test application, one-on-one oral care education, lasting an average of 15 minutes, was conducted for each participant. The content of the education included: oral health in adults; the consequences of poor oral hygiene; points to consider for oral health; demonstration of the brushing technique; coping with care-resistant behaviors; and how to use the oral health reminder card and checklist.
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University
Çanakkale, Turkey (Türkiye)
Adaptation to Chronic Illness Scale
The scale comprises 25 items across three subdomains, including physical, social, and psychological adjustment. The scale is designed as a 5-point Likert scale (with 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Completely Agree). Items 5, 6, 12, 17, 19, 20, 24, and 25 are reverse scored. Maximum score that can be obtained from the scale is 125. Higher scores from the subdomains or the entire scale are indicative of the fact that the patients' level of adaptation to the disease is also high. The Cronbach's Alpha value of the scale is 0.88 for the entire scale.
Time frame: one weeks
Oral Assessment Guide
The guide allows for the assessment of voice, swallowing, lips, tongue, saliva, mucous membrane, gums, and teeth/dentures. The OAG supports the creation of an oral care protocol for patients with impaired oral mucous membranes. Each change related to oral health is scored between 1 and 3 points, and these scores are summed to obtain the total score. Scores obtainable from the OAG range from 8 to 24. A score between 8 and 14 indicates a "risk of impairment in the oral mucous membrane," while a score between 14 and 24 indicates "impairment in the oral mucous membrane." According to the OAG, a low score indicates good oral health, whereas high scores suggest poor oral health. A light source and a tongue depressor for each participant were used when evaluating oral health.
Time frame: one weeks
Oral Health Reminder Card
The card contains a total of 10 items regarding what should be paid attention to in daily oral health and was prepared based on the literature. The reminder cards were 10x15 cm in size, and participants were asked to place these cards somewhere visible in their homes. The reminder cards were not taken back.
Time frame: one weeks
Oral Health Checklist
This form contains the items listed on the Oral Health Reminder Card. Participants were asked to implement the items on the checklist and mark them as applied. Participants had the opportunity to evaluate whether they performed the oral health items every day over a one-week period.
Time frame: one weeks
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