ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health

Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1594767

This article is part of the Research TopicEnhancing Oral Health Literacy and Quality of Life: Strategies for a Healthier FutureView all 3 articles

Harnessing Technology to Enhance Oral Health Literacy Among Afghan Women: An Interprofessional Community-Engaged Model

Provisionally accepted
Moshtagh R FarokhiMoshtagh R Farokhi1*Andrew E MuckAndrew E Muck2Hamsini NathanHamsini Nathan1James YanJames Yan3Alvin EstacioAlvin Estacio4Ruoxuan SuRuoxuan Su3Melanie StoneMelanie Stone5Nandini MandlikNandini Mandlik6Heidi WoraboHeidi Worabo7
  • 1Comprehensive Dentistry, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States
  • 2Emergency Medicine, Chair, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
  • 3Medicine, Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States
  • 4South Texas Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States
  • 5Family & Community Medicine, Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States
  • 6Pediatrics, Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States
  • 7Office for Faculty Excellence, School of Nursing, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States

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Forty-three Afghan women aged 19 to 57 participated in the study. Demographic data revealed that 58% identified Pashto as their primary language, 46% had received little to no formal education, and 77% were homemakers. Key barriers to healthcare access included financial constraints (91%), limited English proficiency (70%), low literacy levels (63%), and transportation challenges (56.3%). Post-intervention data revealed statistically significant improvements in participants' oral hygiene and dietary knowledge (p<0.05). Assessment of brushing and flossing techniques indicated increased performance scores from pre-to postintervention (p<0.001).. At the six-month post-intervention follow-up, 20 women participated. 80% (n=16) reported reduced consumption of sugary beverages, while 95% (n=19) indicated improved oral hygiene practices.This study supports the effectiveness of a culturally responsive, technology-facilitated oral health intervention in enhancing self-care behaviors among Afghan refugee women. The findings suggest that healthcare providers should adopt patient-centered, community-engaged approaches to advance health outcomes. Technology-based interventions can effectively address constraints in health literacy.

Keywords: cultural practices, Health Communication, Refugee health, Health Literacy, stakeholder participation

Received: 17 Mar 2025; Accepted: 27 May 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Farokhi, Muck, Nathan, Yan, Estacio, Su, Stone, Mandlik and Worabo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Moshtagh R Farokhi, Comprehensive Dentistry, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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