A cross-sectional study in Ubon Ratchathani surveyed 270 stakeholders and used dental records from 498 preschool children. Perceived system effectiveness was high (mean 4.01/5), yet caries prevalence was 57.83%. Service-delivery processes and home visits were significant predictors, but the model explained only 11.1% of variance and the system score was partly perception-based.
Key findings
- The system scored highly despite caries in more than half of children. • Service delivery and home visits were associated with effectiveness. • Monitoring and evaluation was the weakest dimension.
Why this matters globally
The findings argue for linking process ratings to actual health outcomes and strengthening home outreach and monitoring in decentralized systems.
Thai researcher contribution
Sirindhorn College of Public Health, Ubon Ratchathani University and Mahasarakham University jointly analyze local-government preschool oral health.
Limitations to consider
The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality; perceived effectiveness may have social-desirability bias, and one province may not represent Thailand.