Recall of an oral health education programme by nursing personnel in special housing facilities for the elderly.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the recall of oral health knowledge and confidence by nursing personnel in special housing facilities for the elderly, three years after an education programme.

DESIGN

A cross sectional design using a questionnaire.

SAMPLE: All nursing personnel, a total of 2,901 subjects, in five municipalities in south-western Sweden; of whom 950 had attended the programme. The response rate was 67% (1930 subjects).

INTERVENTION: An oral health education programme consisting of four one-hour lessons.

RESULTS

The oral health education programme still had an effect on the participants' attitudes towards oral health three years later. When comparing the trained group (OHEP+) which attended the programme with those who did not have training (OHEP-), the perceived ability, opportunity and the knowledge of oral health were significantly better in the former group, p < 0.01 Further, within the OHEP- group who did not attend the programme there was a significant difference in the perceived ability, opportunity and the knowledge of oral health between those with a higher level of health care education, p < 0.01.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of an oral health education programme on the participants' attitudes towards oral health persists at least for three years. The data indicate that trainees with a low level of health care education benefit most.