The community-based public oral health program in public health centers was launched in 1993 to promote oral health of the community. This program is considered to be more important after local autonomous government and the passage of national health promotion law. The aims of this study were to evaluate this program and propose adequate guidelines for future public oral health program in public health center. For this study, the mail questionnaire survey was carried out from the 18 public health center. The sample is consist of the 23 dentists and 57 hygienests who work in oral health center of public health center now. Facilities, equipments, manpower and finance of public oral health center, task recognition of dentists and hygienests were investigated. Multiple regression analysis were performed to identify the factors which influence on the outcome of the program. Dependent variable is outcome of program and the independent variables are population size, financing, equipments, motivation of dentist., an extent of work. And also chi-square test were performed to compare the task recognition between dentists and hygienests. The major findings are summarized as follows.
1. Average space of oral health centers are 26.4 m2 and only 33.3% of the centers have space in the facilities for tooth brushing and mouth rinsing and 45% have no dental unit chair. Oral examination instruments and education equipments. are very poor.
2. Program population size (p<0.01), motivation of dentists (p<0.01), financ (p<0.05), an extent of work(P<0.05) and equipment (p<0.05) variables showe+ statistical significance at the multiple regression analysis, so these variable: have an influence on the outcome of "the program.
3. The dentists recognized that the priorities of mojor task have to b given to oral examination (57.9%), organizing the health promotion even (57.9%) and planning and evaluation of program (57.9%), but hygienest; recognized this task are performed in cooperation with the dentists Recognition of planning and evaluation of program (p<0.01), budget planning (p<0.05), organizing of oral health promotion event (p<0.01) and propagation of program (p<0.05) variables showed statistically significant difference between dentists and hygienests.
From the above results, adequate facility, space, basic instruments an( education equipments, motivation of dentist, an extent of work and financia supporting are the essential factors to implement the successful public ora health center program. And also required are the job analysis of hyginest: and dentists for the reallocation of tasks.
|