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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the performance of oral assessment and health care education at nursing schools across Japan to identify problems and the need for oral health professional support. Methods: The participants were the academic staff in charge of oral health care education in the basic, adult, gerontological, and home nursing fields of 295 schools in Japan that offered a bachelor's degree in nursing. A questionnaire was sent to 1180 heads of the nursing fields of these schools. They were requested to have oral health care educators complete the survey; data on the performance of oral assessment and health care education and human resources allocated were collected through a questionnaire. Results: A total of 311 (26%) questionnaires were returned, 196 (63%) of which were completed by oral health care educators. Regarding the performance of oral assessment education, the majority (71%) of them spent less than 2 hours in teaching, and only 24.5% taught the usage of oral assessment tools. Regarding the performance of oral health care education, more than 90% spent less than 2 hours in lecture-based and practical oral health care education, respectively. Less than half taught the association of periodontal diseases with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and use of fluoride for caries prevention in the lectures, and only approximately 30% taught the usage of an interspace brush or dental floss. Moreover, less than 10% of oral health professionals taught oral health care in lectures or practical oral health care. Conclusions: This study revealed problems associated with oral assessment and health care education in Japanese nursing schools. To address these, support from oral health care professionals is required. Further studies are also required to reveal problems in oral assessment and health care education in other nursing schools that do not offer a bachelor's degree programme in Japan and other countries.

ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aimed to investigate nurses’ perceptions of oral health care provision to inpatients in Japanese hospitals and the infection control measures taken by them after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown to promote collaborative oral health care. Method: The participants were 1037 nurses working in inpatient wards at 4 hospitals in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey approximately 6 months after the first COVID-19 lockdown. Results: More than 90% of the 734 nurses participating in this study positively perceived the preventive effect of oral health care on aspiration pneumonia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and viral infection. However, approximately half of them had negative perceptions about their knowledge and confidence regarding the control of COVID-19 with oral health care provision, and 84.7% expected to be provided with the necessary information by oral health professionals. Further, 537 nurses (73.2%) provided oral health care to their patients; 9 nurses (1.7%) responded that those patients who received oral health care decreased after the lockdown; and 12 (2.4%) responded that they could no longer collaborate with oral health professionals because of the lockdown. Additionally, 41.7% of them used neither protective glasses nor face shields even after the lockdown began. Conclusions: This study showed that almost all the nurses perceived the benefcial effect of oral health care for the prevention of viral infection and pneumonia. However, some nurses perceived that their oral health care provision and collaborative oral health care were negatively affected. It also showed that most nurses’ knowledge, confidence, and use of infection control measures were insufficient. The results indicate that oral health professionals should support nurses in providing oral health care by providing them with information on COVID-19 infection control measures to prevent infection transmission.

Abstract Background Oral healthcare education for health professional students is important to promote collaborative oral healthcare practice among health professionals. The purpose of this follow-up, cross-sectional study was to investigate attitudes, awareness, and perceptions regarding oral healthcare among dental and nursing students and to compare them both between baseline and the completion of the education programme and between dental and nursing students to identify problems with oral healthcare programmes in dental education. Method The subjects included 88 dental and 119 nursing students. The dental students participated in geriatric and preventive dentistry courses for oral healthcare education. The nursing students participated in independent oral healthcare courses comprising 45 h of training with case-based learning and were taught and instructed by multiple health professionals, including dentists. Questionnaires were distributed to the participants to compare attitudes, awareness, and perceptions regarding oral healthcare between baseline and the completion of the education programme and between dental and nursing students. A chi-square test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann–Whitney U test were used to compare the data. Result and Conclusion The data of 48 (28 male and 20 female) dental students and 103 (9 male and 94 female) nursing students who completed the questionnaires both at baseline and after the education programme were used for the comparisons. After the education programme, more than 90% of the students were interested in oral healthcare practice; hoped to practise oral healthcare post-qualification; and perceived oral healthcare to be effective for preventing dental caries, periodontal diseases, and aspiration pneumonia. These attitudes and perceptions were statistically significantly improved after the education. However, the level of awareness of oral healthcare and the level of perception of the importance of collaboration with healthcare workers in oral healthcare practice after education were lower in the dental students than in the nursing students. Multi-professional oral healthcare education with case-based learning has the potential to improve awareness of oral healthcare and perceptions of the importance of collaborative oral healthcare practice.

Abstract Background As the general population of Japan ages, the population of hospitalized psychiatric patients is also ageing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with age and oral health, including oral and swallowing function, among psychiatric inpatients. Methods The subjects included 165 psychiatric inpatients in psychiatric hospitals in Japan. The General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) were included in the questionnaire survey for the measurement of OHRQoL and the screening of dysphagia. A score ≥ 3 on the EAT-10 was defined as suspected dysphagia. Oral examinations and oral diadochokinesis (ODK) measurements for the tongue-lip motor function evaluation were conducted. The inpatients with acute psychiatric symptoms, moderate and severe dementia, and cognitive impairment that affected their ability to communicate and relate their feelings were excluded. A chi-squared test, the Mann–Whitney U test, and linear regression analysis were used for the analysis. The data were analysed at the 5% significance level. Results A total of 100 (64.5%) psychiatric inpatients (mean age, 67.3 [SD, 14.5] years, 49% males, and 51% females) participated in this study. The means ± SDs for the decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) index and GOHAI score were 20.6 ± 6 and 49.7 ± 7.9, respectively. The GOHAI score in the older age group (≥ 65 years) was significantly lower than that in the younger age group (

To clarify comfortable bedding colors, we examined 80 psychiatric inpatients' impressions of bedding in 6 different tones (pale, dull, bright, greyish, deep, and light) of blue, focusing on the suitability for patient rooms. 1) In both the male and female groups, the samples chosen as the most and least suitable for patient rooms were pale tone and greyish tone, respectively. 2) The female group rated pale tone and light tone more positively than the male group. 3) Through factor analysis, 2 factors were identified: [psychological comfort] and [brightness/warmth]. For Factor 1, greyish tone was rated significantly lower than pale and light tones only in the female group. For Factor 2, greyish tone was rated significantly lower than pale and light tones in both the male and female groups. Based on these findings, bedding in various tones of blue, except for greyish tone, is recommendable for psychiatric wards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the suitability and impressions of various bedding colors among 66 nurses and 64 patients on psychiatric wards. (1) The colors chosen as suitable for hospital rooms were white in the male nurse and male patient groups, pale green in the female nurse group, and pale red in the female patient group. As unsuitable bedding colors, pale yellow was chosen by the male and female nurse groups and the female patient group, and pale red by the male patient group. (2) There were marked differences in the impressions of white and pale blue between the nurse and patient groups. (3) Factor analysis identified 2 factors: [psychological comfort] and [brightness/warmth]. The mean factor scores were relatively high for white, pale green, and pale blue for [psychological comfort］，and were pale red and pale yellow for [brightness/warmth]. Thus, selecting bedding in consideration of patient perspectives is necessary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comfortable patients rooms are required to reduce patients' psychological stress during hospitalization. To clarify the states of bedding at patients rooms, we conducted a questionnaire survey on bedding which catches patients' eye and is used by them. We obtained responses from the nursing managers at 162 hospitals in Japan. The most common color for bedding was white (bed sheets: 97.5%, duvet covers: 69.8%, pillowcases: 89.5%). Patternless linens were used more frequently in view of clean environment than patterned ones (99.4%, 71.6%, 95.1%). Colored and/or patterned linens were used for relaxing patients. The most important element of bedding was safety/hygiene management (such as infection prevention), therefore, most hospitals put importance on cleanliness and safety/hygiene management. The effect of each type of bed linen on patients was evaluated as follows: white: "promoting patients' sense of cleanliness"; pale red: "making patients feel better and warmer in the room"; patternless: "promoting patients' sense of cleanliness without being conspicuous"; and patterned: "promoting patients' calm and safe feelings, and making them feel better, brighter, and warmer in the room". The results suggest that colored and/or patterned bed linens promote patients' psychological comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A questionnaire survey was conducted, involving 64 patients admitted to psychiatric hospital, to clarify appropriate/inappropriate colors for a patients room, and their impressions of the following 6 bedding colors: white, pale red, pale yellow, pale green, pale blue, and pale violet. 1) The most appropriate bedding color for a patients room was white for males and pale red for females. The most inappropriate bedding color was pale red for males and pale yellow for females. 2) There was the most significant gender difference in the impression of pale red, as females tended to have a more positive impression. 3) The impression of pale blue varied according to patients' mood. More patients who were feeling down preferred pale blue beddings as a reassurance. 4) Three factors as "psychological comfort", "functional comfort", and "colorful" were extracted by factor analysis. Mean factor scores of "psychological comfort" were high for pale blue, white, and pale green; therefore, these were recommended as bedding color for psychiatric hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]