Evaluación de resultados de una estrategia educativa construida con el binomio madre-hijo, en las prácticas de cuidado y la salud bucal de niños de un año de vida

Abstract

Problem: Oral health is an essential component of overall health and quality of life, particularly during pregnancy and the first thousand days of life, a critical period for the prevention of oral diseases. However, traditional oral health promotion and prevention strategies, largely based on biomedical and behavioral approaches, have shown limited impact. Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of a Health Education strategy collaboratively developed with the mother–child dyad on caregiving practices and the oral health status of one-year-old children attending the E.S.E. Clínica Girón in Girón, Santander, Colombia. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted. The qualitative component, incorporating ethnographic elements, explored the meanings, knowledge, and oral health caregiving practices of the mother–child dyad before and after implementation of the educational strategy through participant observation and in-depth interviews. The quantitative component was descriptive and aimed to identify knowledge and practices, as well as to characterize the oral health status of the children at six months and one year of age through a clinical dental examination performed after the intervention. Results: Favorable transformations were observed in knowledge and caregiving practices, particularly regarding breastfeeding, feeding practices, oral hygiene, and the recognition of oral health as an integral part of overall health. In addition, a low prevalence of carious lesions was observed compared to national indicators, highlighting the importance of participatory and context-based educational strategies for the promotion of early childhood oral health