STAR tool Process Evaluation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
STAR tool Process Evaluation
IRAS ID
336176
Contact name
Marie Kotzur
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Glasgow
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic disease worldwide and is a particular public health problem for young children in Scotland. Despite improvements over the past decade, there are still relatively high caries levels in children in Scotland and socioeconomic inequalities remain. The Childsmile universal toothbrushing programme in nurseries and some primary schools has contributed to the improvements in caries levels, however, many children experience tooth decay before they attend nursery at the age of 3. Parental supervised toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste, particularly when initiated at a young age, can reduce a child’s risk of caries. However, many parents and caregivers can face barriers which prevent them from effectively implementing toothbrushing for their child. Childsmile’s Dental Health Support Workers (DHSWs) provide oral health support for targeted families in the home setting, including the promotion of toothbrushing.
In previous research our team has developed the STAR tool to support DHSWs supervised toothbrushing promotion during home visits. The tool consists of 11 cards depicting common barriers parents experience to supervised toothbrushing. Parents indicate which barriers/cards are relevant to them individually and discuss with the DHSW strategies to overcome these barriers suggested by the STAR tool. Early acceptability and feasibility research during the STAR tool development suggests that parents/cares find the tool acceptable and DHSWs find the tool useful.
This project aims to fully evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the STAR tool for targeted toothbrushing promotion by DHSWs. We will conduct a survey and focus groups with staff in DHSW roles in Scotland during the role out of the STAR tool, alongside focus groups with DHSW line managers and interviews with parents/carers. The research findings will highlight opportunities to improve the implementation and acceptability of the STAR tool for those delivering it and for parents/carers with whom the tool is used.REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
24/WA/0138
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion