Youth Community-based Oral Health Learning Model Erasmus Project

Project Title

Youth Community-based Oral Health Learning Model

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

Poor oral health has a detrimental effect on youth’s quality of life, their performance at school and their success in later life. Youth who suffer from poor oral health are 12 times more likely to have restricted-activity days than those who do not.

European Ministers have asserted that the needs of EU citizens must be the centre of attention in the development of high quality health related information services and that the widespread availability of high quality health information creates the potential for citizen empowerment. Empowerment as an educational process is designed to help people develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and degree of self-awareness necessary to effectively assume responsibility for their health-related decisions and is a key element of health literacy. Health literacy is recognized as a critical component of high-quality health care.

The goal of the Com4You was to develop a community-based learning model to enhance the health literacy of young population and to demonstrate how the implementation of the model can help improve knowledge, attitudes and behavior related to oral health and oral status and level of hygiene of young population, especially of underserved youth. The project also demonstrated how the goal can be achieved by largely mobilizing community resources. As good practice, the model was implemented and demonstrated in one of the Member States most affected by oral diseases among children, that is Romania.

The main objectives were:
1. Supporting the implementation of Youth community-based oral health education initiative by:
2. Providing understanding of oral health education tailored to the local conditions.

The project partners are organized in a hierarchical structure, undertaking the main responsibilities in the public health within the project scope. At the top level, EU level, the European Dental Hygienists Federation (EDHF), responsible for the overall coordination and dissemination of the activities within the project, at the national level, the Institute of Public Health Bucharest (INSP), a specialized agency of the Ministry of Health, providing scientific, technical and methodological support to health policy-making, TES an ideal youth organization and AFRA a consulting company in the field of oral health education, at the academic level, Karolinska Institute, Sweden, one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious medical universities, and the Medical University, Romania UMF “Carol Davila”, the project coordinator, at local level DGSPC representing in the project youth from deprived groups.

The project produced four Intellectual outputs developed in project’s activities that are grouped in 6 work packages:

WP1: Inventory of needs and requirements and Baseline data analysis.
WP2: Development of curricula and educational and training material for target groups and stakeholders
WP3: Mobility and Training activities. Pilot study for oral health education of youth
WP4: Dissemination of results, Exploitation and Sustainability
WP5: Quality assurance
WP6: Project management, coordination and organization.

The methodology for developing the YCBL model consisted in following phases: (1) identification of target groups and stakeholders, (2) creating networks and alliances and communication channels, (3) establishing the baseline report for each target group, (4) defining roles and contribution of stakeholders, (5) developing E&T material and information material, (6) pilot phase, evaluation and tracking the progress, (7) dissemination of outcomes, (8) evaluation and revision of the YCBL model, (9) Developing Guidelines for YCBL model implementation at national and regional/local levels.

Results and outcomes, Tangible: (1) Database with the reference level, (2) YCBL model and YCBL implementation Guidelines, (3) Website, newsletters, publication materials, (4) YCBL Platform for communication and OER (5) E&T curricula and learning materials, (6) reports for each methodology phase, (7) Workshops and seminars for dissemination. (8) Demonstrated relationship between health literacy and oral health status.
Intangible: (1) Enhanced knowledge and skills of children in oral health care, (2) Enhanced awareness and commitment of community for public oral health activities, (3) Improved participation of dental students to community activities. (4) Strengthened the links between national, academic and community institutions.

Realized impact: (1) Oral health education was proposed to be introduced soon in the school education curriculum, part of integrated multiannual plan for oral health promotion, which was initiated by Ministry of Health and Romanian Presidency (2) Improved level of health literacy of young population, (3) Improved the enrolment in oral health education of deprived children, (4) Increased awareness on the contribution of community in oral health education.

Long-term benifit: Improved oral health of youth.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 166735 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITATEA DE MEDICINA SI FARMACIE’CAROL DAVILA’ DIN BUCURESTI & Country: RO

Project Partners

• SC AFRA SRL
• DGASPC Galati
• INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE SANATATE PUBLICA
• KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET
• European Dental Hygienists Federation
• Asociatia Tineri pentru Educatie si Societate