Facts

Contact person:
Marie Nordström
Financer:
  • Eklund Foundation
  • OFRS
  • The Patent Revenue Fund for Research in Preventive Odontology
Responsible at MaU:
Marie Nordström
Project members at MaU:
Collaborators :
  • Public Dental Care Skåne: Henrik Jansson
Time frame:
01 January 2019 - 31 December 2023
Faculty/department:
Research subject:

About the project

Background

Dental caries is the most common non-communicable disease (NCD), with consequences such as pain, infections, lost working and school days, difficulties to eat and speak as well as impacts on wellbeing and life quality. In spite of low socioeconomic circumstances, some individuals can sustain health, so called resilience. With a salutogenic perspective, the focus is on health promotive factors rather than risk factors. Research with this approach can explain how resources, capacity and assets develop, improve and maintain and promote health even in chronic adversity.

Aim

The aim is to identify salutogenic factors among healthy caries-free adolescents living in chronic adversity.

Material & Methods

This study has a qualitative research design and applies the salutogenic theory to study resilience and health promoting factors. The participants were recruited from two National Dental Care clinic in Malmö, Skåne by using oral health data from patient journals and socioeconomic data from Statistics Sweden.
Participants were selected by purposive sampling with the following absolute inclusion criteria; caries-free (no decayed or filled teeth), adolescents (18-23 years) and low socioeconomic status (low income and education level in parents). The in-depth interviews concerned everyday life. Analysis will be done by qualitative content analysis according to Graneheim & Lundman (2004).

Relevance

Knowledge on protective factors among adolescents in chronic adversity is limited. To build resilience by strengthening abilities and assets is an essential part of promoting sustainable health and well-being. By understanding the association between life course factors and oral health outcomes, we can gain useful information for patient benefits in future oral health promotion work to reduce health disparities.