AVALIAÇÃO DE UM MATERIAL EDUCATIVO SOBRE HIGIENE BUCAL E TRANSTORNO DO ESPECTRO AUTISTA SOB A ÓTICA DOS CRITÉRIOS DO BR-CDC-CCI

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the clarity and quality of information in one educational material on oral hygiene aimed at patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to the criteria recommended by the Brazilian version of the Clear Communication in Health Index (BR-CDC-CCI). Materials and Methods: a electronic search was carried out on the Google search site (www.google.com) on March 4th,

2023, using the keywords “cartilha”, “higiene bucal” and “pessoa com deficiência”. The inclusion criterion involved educational material directed to caregivers of people with ASD developed by a Brazilian institution. Educational materials directed to health or education professionals were excluded, as well as materials not available online. The first search page revealed one oral health educational material for caregivers of people with ASD, available online. The BR-CDC-CCI was used independently  by two dentists to assess the material using the criteria of “Main message and call to action”, “Language”, “Information design”, “State of the science (scientific knowledge)”, “Behavior recommendations”, “Numbers”, and “Risks”. The scores obtained by the consensus of the evaluators for the material, on a scale of zero to twenty, were reached in a meeting. Results: the material showed 100% compliance with the criteria required by the instrument as highlighted main message, simple language, attractive design, behavioral recommendations, current scientific evidence, risks and appropriate approach to numeracy, demonstrating clarity and quality of information. Conclusion: the educational material entitled “Oral Hygiene for People with Autism” proved to be excellent material and could fulfill its goal of helping parents and professionals in the oral hygiene of people with ASD.