Factors Influencing Oral Health Behaviours, Access and Provision of Dental Care for Autistic Children and Adolescents in Countries with a Very High Human Development Index: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Systematic Review

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-11, Vol.18 (23), p.12346
• Main Authors: Erwin, Jo, Paisi, Martha, Witton, Robert, Neill, Sarah, Burns, Lorna, Vassallo, Isaac, Nelder, Abigail, Facenfield, Jemma, Devalia, Urshla, Vassallo, Tara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access; Adolescent; Adolescents; Autism; Autistic children; Autistic Disorder; Caregivers; Child; Children; Communication; Dental Care; Dental caries; Dental disorders; Fluorides; GNI; Gross National Income; Health Behavior; Health care; Health care access; Health care industry; Health disparities; Health Personnel; Health risks; Health services; Human Development Index; Humans; Hygiene; Indexes; Inequality; Intellectual disabilities; Learning disabilities; Literature reviews; Mixed methods research; Oral Health; Oral hygiene; Qualitative analysis; Social interaction; Study Protocol; Systematic review; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Teenagers; Toothpaste; Young adults
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312346

Autistic children and adolescents are at high risk of dental disease and experience oral health inequalities. They consistently show high levels of unmet needs in relation to their oral health and access to dental care. There are no systematic reviews that bring together the evidence on the factors that influence oral hygiene behaviours, and access to and provision of dental care for autistic children and adolescents. A systematic search will be carried out in eight international databases and in grey literature of qualitative, quantitative and mixed method research studies from countries with a High Development Index which relate to oral health behaviours, and access to and provision of dental care. Only studies where participants are autistic children and adolescents aged 19 years or under, parents/guardians/caregivers, support staff, or oral health care providers will be included. Quantitative and qualitative data will be synthesized together through data transformation using a convergent integrated approach. Thematic synthesis will be used to carry out an inductive analysis of the data. The findings from the systematic review which this protocol generates will be used in the development of an appropriate local clinic care pathway for autistic children/adolescents and to inform national policies and practices. Prospero registration: CRD 42021248764.