DENT1006 Public Health in Dentistry

DENT1006 Public Health in Dentistry

• Course name: DENT1006 Public Health in Dentistry
• Course subtitle: Practice of Public Health/Health Education
• University: Bahçeşehir University School of Dental Medicine

Lecture I: Practice of Public Health

• Health Financing: Ensuring adequate funding for health services is crucial.
• Human Resources for Health: There's a need for qualified health workers.
• Mental Health: Increasing mental health issues require attention.
• Climate Change: A major threat to global health.
• Poverty: A significant barrier to accessing healthcare.
• Reproductive Health: Ensuring access to reproductive health services is essential.
• Infodemic: The spread of misinformation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a considerable challenge.
• Humanitarian Crisis: Providing healthcare amidst conflicts and crises is a significant challenge.

Epidemiology

• Definition: The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specific populations and the application of this study to control health problems.
• Scientific Elements:
  • Aetiology: Causes of diseases
  • Pathogenesis: Mechanisms of disease development
  • Prevention: Strategies to prevent diseases

Objectives of Epidemiology

• To describe the distribution and magnitude of health and disease problems in a population.
• To identify the determinants of aetiological factors and risk factors in the population.
• To provide essential data for planning, implementing, and evaluating health services for prevention, control, and treatment of diseases.

Epidemiological Methods

• Observational Studies:
  • Descriptive Studies: Observing and describing the distribution of a condition or event.
  • Analytical Studies:
    • Case-control Studies: Identifying individuals with a disease and comparing their previous exposures with those without the disease.
    • Cohort Studies: Following a group of people over time to see if they develop a disease or outcome.
• Experimental/Interventional Studies:
  • Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs): Randomly assigning individuals to intervention and control groups to assess the impact of an intervention on disease outcomes.

Descriptive Studies

• Purpose: Observing and describing the distribution of a health condition or event in a population.
• Process: Measuring the frequency and patterns of the condition in relation to variables like age, sex, and location.
• Outcome: Identifying patterns, trends, and generating hypotheses for further research.
• Usage: The first step in research investigations, providing valuable information about who, what, where, and when of health-related events.

Case-Control Studies

• Starting Point: Begin by identifying individuals with a specific health condition (cases) and comparable individuals without the condition (controls).
• Selection: Choosing cases based on the presence of the disease and controls from the same population without the disease, carefully matching them in relevant aspects.
• Exposure Measurement: Examining past exposures of cases and controls to factors suspected of causing the disease.
• Analysis: Comparing the frequency of exposure to the suspected causes in cases and control groups, using odds ratios to assess the relationships.

Cohort Studies

• Starting Point: Selecting a group of people who share common exposures, characteristics, or lifestyle habits.
• Selection: Creating an exposed group and a non-exposed group as a comparison.
• Exposure Measurement: Gathering data on exposures and other factors from both groups.
• Follow-up and Analysis: Tracking both groups over a specific period and comparing the incidence rates of the disease in both groups.

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)

• Purpose: Establishing causality in epidemiology.
• Method: Randomly assigning individuals to either an intervention group or a control group.
• Goal: Assessing the impact of an intervention on disease outcomes.
• Key Feature: Minimizing biases by random assignment to groups.

RCTs in Dentistry

• Dental Implants, Dental Anxiety, Oral Health Education, Laser Therapy.

Clinical Research Designs

• Definition: Scientific studies involving human subjects to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of treatments.
• Ethics: Protecting the rights, safety, and well-being of subjects.

Ethical Guidelines

• Nuremberg Code (1947)
• Declaration of Helsinki (2000)
• Belmont Report (1979)
• CIOMS (2002)
• US Common Rule (1991)

Principles Guiding Ethical Research

• Social and clinical value
• Scientific validity
• Fair subject selection
• Favorable risk-benefit ratio
• Independent review
• Informed consent
• Respect for potential and enrolled subjects

Lecture II: Health Education

• Definition: A process based on sound principles, informing and empowering individuals to make informed health choices.

Definition and Principles of Health Education

• Interest, Participation, Motivation, Leader, Good human relationship, Reinforcement, Learning by doing, Knows to unknown, Comprehension, Soil, seed & sower

Approaches and Methods of Health Education

• Regulatory, Service, Health education, Primary health care
• Lectures, Symposiums, Group Discussions, Demonstrations, Role-playing

Health Education Methods

• Lectures
• Group Discussions
• Demonstrations
• Role-playing

Education Theories

• Behavioural Theory
• Social Learning Theory
• Cognitive Theory
• Humanist Theory
• Developmental Theory
• Critical Theory

Methods of Health Education

• Individual Level
• Group Level
• General Public

Education at Individual Level

• Advantage: Two-way communication, persuasion.
• Disadvantage: Limited reach.

Education at Group Level

• Panel Discussions
• Workshops
• Seminars
• Role-playing
• Group Discussions
• Demonstrations

Education for General Public

• Television
• Radio
• Newspaper
• Health Magazines
• Health Information Booklets
• Health Museum
• Health Exhibitions
• Posters

Characteristics and Barriers to Health Education

• Characteristics: Targets influential community members, uses diverse channels, emphasizes short-term benefits, facilitates dialogue.
• Barriers: Physiological, environmental, psychological, and cultural limitations impacting communication.

Health Education and Propaganda

• Difference between health education and propaganda: Health education promotes critical thinking, reflective behaviour. Propaganda appeals to emotions and manipulates behaviours.