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327798
Self-perceived changes among social assistance recipients regarding employment prospects after receiving dental treatment


Monday, November 2, 2015

Sonica Singhal, BDS, MPH, PhD, FRCD(C), Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Andrew Mitchell, Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Muhammad Mamdani, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
Howard Tenenbaum, DDS, PhD, FRCD(C), Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Carlos Quinonez, DMD, MSc, PhD, FRCD(C), Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto
Background: Strengthening self-efficacy in job seeking of individuals with dental problems has been identified as an important factor in facilitating job procurement and maintenance.There is no knowledge if receiving dental treatment improves self-efficacy and in turn mediates positive employment outcomes. This work is an endeavor to explore such pathways.

Methods: An exploratory study of a convenience sample of 30 participants was conducted using a pre- and post-dental treatment survey among adult social assistance recipients of Ontario, Canada. The survey included validated instruments such as Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and Job Seeking Self-efficacy scale (JSS). Changes in scores of both scales following dental treatment were calculated. Pearson correlation was performed between JSS and OHIP-14 scores to assess if change in oral health related quality of life was correlated to job-seeking self-efficacy.

Results: Thirty participants completed pre- and post-dental treatment surveys. Mean scores for OHIP-14 (23.4 to 6.7, p<0.001, effect size: 1.75) and JSS (4.9 to 5.5, p = 0.002, effect size: 0.40) changed significantly after receiving dental treatment. A significant negative correlation (-0.56) was observed between the two scores.

Conclusion: Among this convenience sample of social assistance recipients, our results indicate that, after receiving dental treatment, oral health related quality of life and self-efficacy in job seeking improves, which reflects addressing employment barriers.

Learning Areas:

Biostatistics, economics
Epidemiology
Program planning
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Assess the change in dental disability among social assistance recipients after receiving treatment. Assess the change in job seeking self-efficacy among social assistance recipients after receiving treatment. Determine the correlation between change in dental disability and change in job seeking self-efficacy.

Keyword(s): Oral Health, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a dentist with clinical experience of ten years and I have done post graduation in public health sciences. Being equipped with skills of epidemiology and bio statistics, and experience of handling several other projects independently, I could manage this research work successfully. I have published four papers in high impact journals as first author.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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