Letramento em saúde bucal de responsáveis por crianças e adolescentes com câncer

Abstract

Oral health is essential for the care of children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment, as antineoplastic therapies often lead to complications that impact patients' quality of life. In this context, caregivers play a crucial role, as they take on daily care and make decisions regarding oral health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the level of Oral Health Literacy (OHL) among caregivers of children and adolescents with cancer and to understand their perceptions of oral health and dental services. A cross-sectional study with a mixed-methods approach was conducted with caregivers of children and adolescents with cancer treated in the pediatric sector of Napoleão Laureano Hospital (HNL). The convenience sample consisted of caregivers aged 18 years or older, of both sexes, and who were literate. The research was carried out in two stages. In the quantitative stage, 55 caregivers completed a form with sociodemographic data, followed by the Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD-14) questionnaire, which assessed OHL across seven domains. Data analysis involved chi-square and Fisher's exact tests to verify associations between sociodemographic variables and each domain of HeLD-14, with a significance level of p<0.05. In the qualitative stage, 12 interviews were conducted to understand caregivers’ perceptions of oral health and access to dental services until data saturation was reached. The interviews were interpreted using Bardin’s thematic content analysis approach. The convergent parallel design strategy was employed for comparison, and the data were presented using explanatory tables. The majority of caregivers were female (94.5%), with 85.5% being mothers of the patients, an average age of 34.9 years, and a monthly income of up to one minimum wage (60%). In the domain analysis, OHL was considered low in the domain of support for taking patients to dental appointments (50.9%; n=28). Educational level was associated with the domains of understanding oral health information, economic barriers, and communication with health professionals. Occupation was related to the domains of communication and the use of oral health information (p<0.05). Caregivers’ statements highlighted difficulties in accessing dental services, the need for more humanized approaches, and the impact of sociodemographic inequalities on access to dental care. Based on the presented data, it was observed that while caregivers demonstrated a high level of oral health literacy, they face challenges such as economic barriers that hinder access to dental services and the maintenance of satisfactory oral health.