Developing diet diaries as a tool for behaviour change in Dentistry
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing diet diaries used in clinical dentistry as a tool for behaviour change
IRAS ID
152074
Contact name
Rebecca Harris
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
Although diet diaries are used routinely in dental practice, little is known about the actual experience of those who use diet diaries, or the personal or environmental factors that contribute to or are barriers to successful use of diet diaries in dental practice. This research aims to investigate:
1. How diet diaries are currently used in dental practice for children and what do dentists/ families hope to achieve by their use?
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses in the way they are currently used to record Non-Milk Extrinsic Sugars?
3. Can the current format and procedure be modified to more effectively provide a monitoring tool, particularly for low income children (aged 5-11 years)?
4. What are the behavioural impacts of diary use and can these be augmented to serve as a behaviour change tool?
A series of studies will be carried out using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Study 1: Retrospective study of completed diet diaries
Analysis of diet diaries completed by children 5-11 year olds and their parents/caregivers in the course of their dental treatment for dental caries from the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at Liverpool University Dental hospital (LUDH) during the period between January 2010 and December 2013.
Study 2: Qualitative study of the use of diet diaries in clinical dentistry
This will include non-participant observation and interviews involving children, their parents/carers, and dentists. Video observations, notes and transcriptions of interviews will be analysed by using the principles of grounded theory.
Study 3: Prospective study of accuracy of diet diaries
A prospective, observational, crossover study design will be used to compare the accuracy of 3-day diet diaries in capturing sugar consumption behaviour against information obtained using the multiple pass 24-hour recall method.
Study 4: Questionnaire study of the use of diet diaries in dental practice
A cross-sectional survey based on postal questionnaire supported by a patient case vignette among general dental practitioners in Liverpool area.REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1204
Date of REC Opinion
28 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion