This study aimed to identify consensus priority research questions for Oral health Birth Cohorts (OHBCS) and to explore differences in priorities according to specific groups of questions. An electronic Delphi survey was used. The Delphi method involved asking experts recurring questions through a series of surveys. Experts received feedback on group responses and could then modify their responses while maintaining anonymity, which was intended to eliminate potential sources of conflict and bias around expressing divergent opinions. The Delphi survey included two rounds of online surveys, as this was the minimum number recommended to generate consensus. In this study, participants were considered experts in OHBCS, being involved in one of the 120 OHBCS identified through a scoping review. Delphi respondents were asked to rank 16 questions regarding their importance in birth cohort studies and oral health (1—low; 9—high). Subgroup analyses were performed according to a priori selected respondent characteristics. Participants were recruited between July and August 2022 using contact emails from the cohorts' publication. For more information please see publications.
This project is a response to the Lancet Series on Oral Health (2019) that has pointed out the need to shift the global oral health agenda. In 2021, the Borrow Foundation supported the establishment of a consortium on oral health-related birth cohort studies (OHBCS). Most studies of this nature are in high-income countries, and efforts must be made to engage the few existing studies in low and middle-income countries. We aim (i) to engage and enable the participation of the only existing OHBCS in a Southeast Asian country (Thailand), (ii) to address the impact of the first dental visit within the first year of the child's life on dental caries experience, (iii) to investigate the potential effect modification of fluoride exposure on the relationship between sugar consumption and dental caries over the early childhood. Data will be obtained from the 15 OHBCS that participated in the 2019 Bangkok workshop. Also, we will search through the 117 OHBCS found in our scoping review, studies that fulfil our inclusion criteria. Pooled data analyses will be performed, and the findings will be submitted to The Lancet Global Health. There are remarkable similarities among these studies; however, results from single studies may not be applied globally. Yet, some research questions require stronger statistical power reinforcing the importance of a Consortium strategy. We intend to disseminate our findings among academics/scientists, clinicians, the local and global community, and policymakers to help make decisions and implement actions based on our findings. The pieces of dissemination will be adequate for each public. This application aims to strengthen collaborative links between the OHBCS worldwide, particularly in Thailand. Our proposal includes funding a workshop, hiring a research assistant for one year, and data extractions costs.
Fund: SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, Singapore
PI: Karen G Peres (National Dental Centre Singapore, Duke NUS, Medical School, Singapore)
Co-I: Waranuch Pitiphat (Faculty of Dentistry, Khon Kaen University in Khon Kaen, Thailand)
Co-I: Paul Michael Pronyk (Global Programs and Research for the SingHealth Duke Global Health Institute, Singapore)
Co-I: Marco Peres (National Dental Centre Singapore, Duke NUS, Medical School, Singapore)
Co-I: Aluisio JD Barros (Department of Social Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Brazil)
Co-I: Benjamin Chaffee (Division of Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health, University of California San Francisco, USA)
Co-I: Carlos Alberto Feldens (Department of Pediatric Dentistry, the Lutheran University of Brazil, Brazil)
Co-I: Emeritus Prof Andrew Rugg-Gunn (Professor Emeritus, Newcastle University, UK)
Co-I: Li Huihua (National Dental Research Institute, National Dental Care Centre, Singapore)
The overall objective of this project is to consolidate a long-lasting international collaborative research group (GLOBICS – Global Consortium of OHBCS) among teams who have been conducting substantial, ongoing, or recently completed oral health epidemiological studies inserted in OHBCS; and conducting two primary analyses by pooling data from cohort studies worldwide. This project will be developed through the National Dental Research Institute Singapore and seeks global evidence for local action.
Fund: National Medical Research Council, Singapore
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