A Conceptual Framework for Improving the Oral Health of Children with Disabilities
type: CreativeWork
description: Abstract Title: A Conceptual Framework for Improving the Oral Health of Children with Disabilities Shiamaa Shihab Al-Mashhadani Introduction: The effect of good oral health contributes to improving general health, well-being, and quality of life. Children with disabilities are more likely to develop oral diseases than the general population. They are disproportionately affected by dental diseases such as high dental caries, periodontal disease prevalence, missing teeth, and malocclusion. There are many challenges that children with disabilities and their carers experience regarding oral health, including access to dental care, availability of preventive interventions, oral health literacy, and education. This study aims to understand the personal experiences and views of stakeholders involved in the child’s life and/or care, to gain an in-depth understanding of the barriers and enablers of oral health for children with disabilities, and to guide policy by creating a framework for policymakers and stakeholders to address the problems of oral health for children with disabilities. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to understand the existing body of evidence on barriers, facilitators, and the involvement of stakeholders (parents, caregivers, dental and non-dental health providers, health systems, and policies) in the oral healthcare of children with disabilities. This led to the identification of knowledge gaps and provided a clearer understanding of the literature related to the research objectives. A qualitative approach was used, with 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with parents (using purposive sampling) and dental/non-dental health providers (using snowball sampling). The main findings of the interviews were transcribed and coded using the six steps of thematic analysis, following an inductive approach as outlined by Braun and Clarke. An interpretive approach was adopted to pursue an answer to the research question while considering the p…
abstract: Abstract Title: A Conceptual Framework for Improving the Oral Health of Children with Disabilities Shiamaa Shihab Al-Mashhadani Introduction: The effect of good oral health contributes to improving general health, well-being, and quality of life. Children with disabilities are more likely to develop oral diseases than the general population. They are disproportionately affected by dental diseases such as high dental caries, periodontal disease prevalence, missing teeth, and malocclusion. There are many challenges that children with disabilities and their carers experience regarding oral health, including access to dental care, availability of preventive interventions, oral health literacy, and education. This study aims to understand the personal experiences and views of stakeholders involved in the child’s life and/or care, to gain an in-depth understanding of the barriers and enablers of oral health for children with disabilities, and to guide policy by creating a framework for policymakers and stakeholders to address the problems of oral health for children with disabilities. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to understand the existing body of evidence on barriers, facilitators, and the involvement of stakeholders (parents, caregivers, dental and non-dental health providers, health systems, and policies) in the oral healthcare of children with disabilities. This led to the identification of knowledge gaps and provided a clearer understanding of the literature related to the research objectives. A qualitative approach was used, with 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with parents (using purposive sampling) and dental/non-dental health providers (using snowball sampling). The main findings of the interviews were transcribed and coded using the six steps of thematic analysis, following an inductive approach as outlined by Braun and Clarke. An interpretive approach was adopted to pursue an answer to the research question while considering the p…
author: Al-Mashhadani, Shiamaa
language: eng
keywords: Oral healthcare access; Children with disabilities; United Arab Emirates (UAE); Stakeholder perspectives; Barriers and facilitators; People of Determination; Qualitative thematic analysis; Conceptual framework.
date published: 2026-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:49:48Z
provider: University of Plymouth
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Plymouth