Acceptability of e-training to support dentists to discuss tooth-kind behaviours with parents: Presenter(s): Sarah Peters, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

Tooth decay is preventable, through health behaviours (e.g. tooth brushing and limiting sugar consumption). However, in the UK, the most common reason for hospital admission in young children is to have decayed teeth removed under general anaesthetic. Dentists report finding behaviour change conversations challenging, and often use approaches known to be ineffective in changing behaviours (e.g. information giving, fear tactics). The study aim was to investigate the acceptability of a health psychology-informed behaviour change communication toolkit. A brief, interactive online training course was developed and made available to a sample of 117 dentists, trainees and allied practitioners. At baseline and post-training, participants completed questionnaires of knowledge, motivation, and confidence in holding behaviour change conversations. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 practitioners to investigate how the intervention could be developed in the context of COVID-19, which has severely disrupted routine dental services. Participants valued the training, which they described as novel and provided them with new strategies to enhance behaviour change conversations. Post-training questionnaires indicated participants felt more confident after training, with increased knowledge around planning and initiating behaviour change conversations with families. Early years practitioners working in a variety of non-dental settings (e.g. nurseries and children's centres) reported opportunities to have behaviour change conversations with parents, and welcomed further tailoring of the online training to help them capitalise on these interactions within these settings. Dental and non-dental practitioners are similarly motivated to have conversations with parents about improving their oral health. Brief online training can improve their capability to initiate these conversations in ways that do not damage the therapeutic relationship. To recover oral health services beyond COVID-19, there is potential for professionals working with parents in non-dental settings to develop skills in oral health promotion. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Patient Education & Counseling is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

How did communities in North West England respond to the COVID-19 lockdown? Findings from a diary study.

OBJECTIVES: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government and public health leaders advocated for community level responses to support vulnerable people. This activity could be planned and co-ordinated, however much was informal and developed organically. The effects on the individuals who were involved in providing and receiving informal support and implications for their communities have not been widely explored. The aim of this study was therefore to document and explore the nature, potential effects and longevity of community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: We asked 15 individuals in North West England to keep a diary during the first UK COVID-19 lockdown. Over 8 weeks, diaries were completed and supported with weekly calls with researchers. A community capacity building framework was used to explore reported community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Diarists described community characteristics that enabled and hindered helpful responses in the lockdown context. Diarists frequently described informal approaches with residents acting alone or with near neighbours, although there were examples of community networks and residents recommencing formal volunteering activities. Diarists reported communities providing practical help and social support to vulnerable people. Participants perceived a greater sense of community, increased contact between residents and new networks during the period covered. CONCLUSION: The diaries provided valuable insights and the framework was a useful tool to explore the COVID-19 lockdown context. The findings indicate that organic capacity building took place, primarily via individual agency, highlighting the risk of communities being 'left behind' if there were not individuals or community networks available with resources to plug gaps in organisational support. Recommendations to sustain helpful responses to the pandemic include further consideration of ongoing community mobilisation, empowerment and community control within the capacity building framework.

"We want to live a little longer and our family want[s] us around": A summative content analysis of adherence to COVID-19-related guidelines using the Theoretical Domains Framework.

OBJECTIVE: Public adherence to COVID-19-related government guidance varied during the initial lockdown in the UK, but the determinants of public adherence to such guidance are unclear. We capture spontaneous reflections on adherence to UK government guidance from a representative UK sample, and use the TDF to identify key determinants of COVID-related behaviours. DESIGN: The design was cross-sectional. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected from a large sample of UK adults (N = 2,252) via an online questionnaire as part of a wider survey about the UK public's responses to the government's COVID-19-related guidance. Summative content analysis was used to identify key guideline terms in the data, followed by latent analysis to interpret the underlying meanings behind the terms using the TDF as an analytical framework. RESULTS: Six TDF domains were identified in the data: Environmental Context and Resources; Beliefs about Consequences; Social Influences; Memory, Attention and Decision Processes; Emotion; and Knowledge. Although the samples were motivated and capable of adhering, limitations in their environments, resources, and social support mechanisms restricted behaviour. Self-reported adherence was sensitive to positive and negative beliefs about the effectiveness of the measures, in addition to interpretations of the terms 'essential' and 'necessary' in the guidance. CONCLUSIONS: Despite extensive structural obstacles to adherence, the majority of the British public were able to follow government COVID-19-related instructions, provided they had sufficient resources, social support, and positive perceptions about the effectiveness of the measures. Ambiguities surrounding key terminology in the guidance left room for interpretation, which may have contributed to non-adherence.