Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School Model

The health and quality of life of a large proportion of the world’s children are compromised by dental caries and periodontal disease. Those in developing countries and from disadvantaged populations suffer disproportionately from these forms of poor oral health; however, much of the primary disease...

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Main Author: Andrew J. Macnab
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Advances in Public Health
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/651836
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author Andrew J. Macnab
author_facet Andrew J. Macnab
author_sort Andrew J. Macnab
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description The health and quality of life of a large proportion of the world’s children are compromised by dental caries and periodontal disease. Those in developing countries and from disadvantaged populations suffer disproportionately from these forms of poor oral health; however, much of the primary disease and secondary pathology is preventable by simple and inexpensive measures that children can readily learn. WHO health promoting schools (HPS) are an established model for addressing public health issues through education of children in a manner that achieves acquisition of knowledge and health practices that promote behaviours that positively impact determinants of health. HPS programs that address poor oral health have achieved improvement in oral health practices and reduction in caries rates among disadvantaged populations of children. WHO has called for more programs to address the “epidemic” of poor oral health worldwide, and the WHO HPS model appears to be a relevant and applicable way forward. Health care professionals and educators who want to improve the health and quality of life of children related to caries and periodontal disease now have an opportunity to collaborate to initiate, deliver, and evaluate community-based HPS interventions using proven concepts, content, and process.
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spelling doaj-art-ff40cc50ee774cb791a5985f0f29fba82025-08-20T03:25:40ZengWileyAdvances in Public Health2356-68682314-77842015-01-01201510.1155/2015/651836651836Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School ModelAndrew J. Macnab0Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Room C323, 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3N1, CanadaThe health and quality of life of a large proportion of the world’s children are compromised by dental caries and periodontal disease. Those in developing countries and from disadvantaged populations suffer disproportionately from these forms of poor oral health; however, much of the primary disease and secondary pathology is preventable by simple and inexpensive measures that children can readily learn. WHO health promoting schools (HPS) are an established model for addressing public health issues through education of children in a manner that achieves acquisition of knowledge and health practices that promote behaviours that positively impact determinants of health. HPS programs that address poor oral health have achieved improvement in oral health practices and reduction in caries rates among disadvantaged populations of children. WHO has called for more programs to address the “epidemic” of poor oral health worldwide, and the WHO HPS model appears to be a relevant and applicable way forward. Health care professionals and educators who want to improve the health and quality of life of children related to caries and periodontal disease now have an opportunity to collaborate to initiate, deliver, and evaluate community-based HPS interventions using proven concepts, content, and process.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/651836
spellingShingle Andrew J. Macnab
Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School Model
Advances in Public Health
title Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School Model
title_full Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School Model
title_fullStr Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School Model
title_full_unstemmed Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School Model
title_short Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School Model
title_sort children s oral health the opportunity for improvement using the who health promoting school model
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/651836
work_keys_str_mv AT andrewjmacnab childrensoralhealththeopportunityforimprovementusingthewhohealthpromotingschoolmodel