Building oral health research infrastructure: the first national oral health survey of Rwanda

Abstract

Background: Oral health affects quality of life and is linked to overall health. Enhanced oral health research is needed in low- and middle-income countries to develop strategies that reduce the burden of oral disease, improve oral health and inform oral health workforce and infrastructure development decisions. Objective: To implement the first National Oral Health Survey of Rwanda to assess the oral disease burden and inform oral health promotion strategies. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, sample size and site selection were based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Surveys Pathfinder stratified cluster methodologies. Randomly selected 15 sites included 2 in the capital city, 2 other urban centers and 11 rural locations representing all provinces and rural/urban population distribution. A minimum of 125 individuals from each of 5 age groups were included at each site. A Computer Assisted Personal Instrument (CAPI) was developed to administer the study instrument. Results: Nearly two-thirds (64.9%) of the 2097 participants had caries experience and 54.3% had untreated caries. Among adults 20 years of age and older, 32.4% had substantial oral debris and 60.0% had calculus. A majority (70.6%) had never visited an oral health provider. Quality-of-life challenges due to oral diseases/conditions including pain, difficulty chewing, self-consciousness, and difficulty participating in usual activities was reported at 63.9%, 42.2% 36.2%, 35.4% respectively. Conclusion: The first National Oral Health Survey of Rwanda was a collaboration of the Ministry of Health of Rwanda, the University of Rwanda Schools of Dentistry and Public Health, the Rwanda Dental Surgeons and Dental (Therapists) Associations, and Tufts University and Harvard University Schools of Dental Medicine. The international effort contributed to building oral health research capacity and resulted in a national oral health database of oral disease burden. This information is essential for developing oral disease prevention and management strategies as well as oral health workforce and infrastructure.

Oral health conditions and correlates: a National Oral Health Survey of Rwanda

“…Nearly two-thirds (63.9%) had experienced painful aching in the mouth within the past 12 months. For those ages 20 years and above, over 50% of the participants reported that oral health problems were affecting their quality of life [ 15 ].…”

“…The data provided by the NOHSR afforded the opportunity to assess factors related to oral disease. Building on the first manuscript describing the NOHSR [ 15 ], we further analyzed the NOHSR dataset to investigate key outcome and descriptive variables to better understand the oral health of the surveyed population. Specifically, we investigated oral health indicators in relation to demographic information, personal oral hygiene practices, and oral health quality of life indicators.…”

“…Each data collector was calibrated against a gold standard examiner and recalibrated at the conclusion of weeks one, two, and four of the six-week data collection period. A previous publication describes the specific details of the methodology for the NOHSR and baseline data regarding the oral disease burden in Rwanda [ 15 ].…”

“…In 2019, ‘tooth and gum disease’ ranked as the most commonly recorded complaint at district hospitals in Rwanda [ 14 ]. A previous publication described the Rwandan context and development of the first National Oral Health Survey of Rwanda (NOHSR), socio-demographics of the study population, and oral disease burden [ 15 ]. The aim of this study was to analyze selected variables from the NOHSR dataset to provide a better understanding of oral health in Rwanda and inform strategies for oral disease prevention and management.…”

Partnerships and Collaborations: The Right Alliances for Clinical Trials in Africa

“…High-income countries fill the gap by conceptualizing, coordinating, and funding African studies, and the resultant effect at times is the promotion of trials that are not of critical importance to Africa’s health care problems. 5 - 7 …”