The Communication Process and Strategy to Create Participation for Thai Early Childhood Oral Hygiene Development Campaign Among Healthy Teeth Network Schools, Thailand Wattana Chancharuswattana, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand The Asian Conference on Media, Communication & Film 2019 Official Conference Proceedings Abstract The objective of this research is to study the communication process and strategies to create participation for Thai early childhood oral hygiene development campaign among Healthy Teeth network schools in Nakhon Pathom province,Thailand. This qualitative research collected the data from 15 key informants whose work is related to early childhood oral hygiene. The in-depth interviews were held with key informants from 3 groups: 1) Nine directors of schools, comprising Kreua Khai Klang Kru Wiang Samphan School that had received the award for excellence in having students with good dental health in 2015 in Nakhon Pathom Province; 2) Four Public Health Department officials, comprising both academics and dentists who were experts in pediatric oral health; and 3) Two representatives of communities, comprising the village headmen of Samphran and Nakhon Chai Sri District. The key informants were chosen by purposive sampling. The data collecting tool was a semi-structured interview form. Data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The research results show that (1) the communication process consists of 1) the most important senders are schools, hospitals and sub-district health promotion hospitals respectively.2) the main message is oral hygiene prevention and care. 3) the communication channels mostly used are teachers, dentists, leaflets, website, training and activities. 4) Parents and teachers will get the right oral hygiene knowledge after the campaign and their attitude and practice are also effected. (2) the communication strategy are public communication campaign, participatory communication, public relations and communication network. Keywords: Communication Process, Communication strategy, Participation, Early Childhood Oral Hygiene iafor The International Academic Forum www.iafor.org Introduction Communication process and strategy of oral health promotion program in primary schools with early childhood students among Healthy Teeth Network Schools should be developed because the prevalence rates of early childhood dental caries in baby tooth in Thailand are very high, 51.7 % for 3-year-old children and 78.5 % for 5-year- old children.1 Moreover, the budget allocation for preventive dentistry is also very high. Early childhood students get pain from caries and cannot study effectively. To create participation for Thai early childhood oral hygiene development campaign, communication process and strategy should be urgently improved by studying from successful Network schools. And “Kreua Khai Klang Kru Wiang Samphan Schools” in Nakhon Pathom Province receiving the award for excellence in having students with good dental health in 2015, is a good model of successful communication. This research aimed to find out successful communication process and strategy for concerned operators at schools, family and community level. Research Question 1. What is the communication process used to create participation in the campaign for early childhood oral hygiene development in Thailand? 2. What are the communication strategies that would better create participation in the campaign for early childhood oral hygiene development in Thailand? Research Methodology This qualitative research interviewed 15 key informants chosen by purposive sampling from 3 groups: 1) Nine directors of schools selected from whom receiving the award for excellence in having students with good dental health in 2015. Those directors are from Kreua Khai Kland Kru Wiang Samphan Schools in Nakhon Pathom Province.2) Four Public Health Department officials, who are experts in pediatric oral health at Dental Health Division, Ministry of Public Health, Health Promotion Center Region 5, Nakhon Pathom Provincial Health office and Huayplu hospital located in the zones where the selected schools were located. 3) Two representatives of communities, selecting from the village leader of Sam Phran District and Nakhon Chai Si District. The data collecting tool was a semi-structured interview form. Data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. 1.Dental health Division, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health (2012). The 7th Thailand National Oral Health Survey Report, 2008-2012. Bangkok: Publications Bureau of Veterans Affairs Organization. Conclusions Early childhood oral hygiene communication Process Early childhood oral hygiene communication process consists of 1) Sender: the most important senders are schools, hospitals and sub-district health promotion hospitals respectively. 2) Message: the main message is oral hygiene prevention and care. 3) Channel: the communication channels mostly used are teachers, dentists, leaflets, website, training and activities. 4) Receiver: parents, teachers and children getting the right oral hygiene knowledge after the campaign. 5) The results/impact of communication: the spread of correct information and improvement of attitudes and behavior related to good oral hygiene in children occurred. Early Childhood Oral Hygiene Communication Process 1. Sender v Bureau of Dental Health 2. Message v Health Promotion Center v Oral hygiene prevention and care v Message Design: pictures, cartoons, Region 5 v Nakhon Pathom Provincial positive & negative affect, specialist Health Office v Frequency: 3 months v Hospitals v Sub-District Health Stations v Community Leaders v Schools 3. Channel v Personal Media: Teachers, Dentists v Printed Media: Leaflets, pamphlets v Electronic Media: Website, 4. Receiver Line mobile application v Parents, Teachers, Children v Specialized Media: Training, v Community Volunteers activities, storytelling v Community Leaders 5. Effect v Knowledge v Attitude v Practice Spreading of correct information and behavior related to good oral hygiene in children Figure 1. Early Childhood Oral Hygiene Communication Process Communication strategies It is found that 4 communication strategies to create participation for Thai early childhood oral hygiene development campaign are as the followings: 1) Public communication campaign 2) Participatory communication 3) Public relations 4) Communication Network. The mostly used communication strategies are working through oral hygiene network and people participation. 1) Public communication campaign Public communication campaigns encompass strategies for producing effects on the knowledge, attitude and behavior of large population across variety of domains including political, pro-social, environmental and health outcomes.2 It is found that public communication campaign is used to produce effects on the knowledge, attitude and behavior of early childhood oral hygiene to parents, teachers and community and to inform, persuade or motivate oral hygiene behavior changes in a target audience, by means of organized communication activities involving mass media. Moreover, it is used to maximize the chances of success through the coordination of media efforts with a mix of other interpersonal and community-based communication channels. Public communication campaign of early childhood oral health are as the followings: Tooth brushing, “First Love, First tooth”, Good quality of meal in schools, No useless food and desserts in and around schools, Stop the bedtime bottle and Tooth check up and Fluoride vanish by dentists. 2) Participatory communication Participatory communication is an approach based on dialogue, which allows the sharing of information, perceptions and opinions among the various stakeholders and thereby facilitate their empowerment. It is the exploration and generation of new knowledge aimed at addressing situations that need to be improved.3 It is found that participatory communication is used for sharing of information, perceptions and opinions among the various stakeholders of early childhood oral hygiene and thereby facilitates their empowerment. Moreover, it is used for exchange of information and experiences, exploration and generation of new knowledge aimed at addressing oral health situation that need to be improved and it is associated with community driven development by using Two way communication and full participation by all stakeholders in any step of the process. 2. Cheldy S, Elumba-Pableo. Public Communication Campaigns. Retrieved July 10,2016 from https://www.slideshare.net/CheldhayeDay/public-communication- campaign) 3. Thomas Tufte and Paolo Mefalopulos (2009) Participatory communication: A Practical Guide-GSDRC from https://gsdrc.org>document-library Participation from all sectors concerned are as the following: v Public health sectors make oral hygiene campaign. v School Administrator encourage teachers to look after children’s oral health check up, tooth brushing and join activity of dissemination of information. v Parents take children to see dentists for oral health check up when having Participation caries and pay more attention to take care children’s oral health. from all sectors concerned v Community gives importance to join early childhood oral health, no useless food and Arrange activities desserts around schools. -Sub- district Administrative Organization provides budget allocation to improve early Make people childhood oral health. participation Communication/ Public relations Figure 2. Participation from all