Oral health needs of athletes with intellectual disability in Southern Europe: Greece, Italy and Spain

Periodic health evaluation in Para athletes: a position statement based on expert consensus

Para athletes present a broad range of sports-related injuries and illnesses, frequently encountering barriers when accessing healthcare services. The periodic health evaluation (PHE) is a valuable tool for continuously monitoring athletes' health, screening for health conditions, assisting in the surveillance of health problems by establishing baseline information and identifying barriers to athlete's performance. This position statement aims to guide sports healthcare providers in the PHE for Para athletes across key impairment categories: intellectual, musculoskeletal, neurological and vision. A panel of 15 international experts, including epidemiologists, physiotherapists, optometrists and physicians with expertise in Para athlete health, convened via videoconferences to discuss the position statement's purpose, methods and themes. They formed working groups to address clinical, cardiorespiratory, neuromusculoskeletal, nutritional status, mental and sleep health, concussion and female Para athlete health assessment considerations. The PHE's effectiveness lies in its comprehensive approach. Health history review can provide insights into factors impacting Para athlete health, inform physical assessments and help healthcare providers understand each athlete's needs. During the PHE, considerations should encompass the specific requirements of the sport modality and the impairment itself. These evaluations can help mitigate the common tendency of Para athletes to under-report health issues. They also enable early interventions tailored to the athlete's health history. Moreover, the PHE serves as an opportunity to educate Para athletes on preventive strategies that can be integrated into their training routines, enhancing their performance and overall health. This position statement can potentially enhance clinical translation into practice and improve the healthcare quality for Para athletes.

Brazilian special olympics athletes: Oral health problems

AIMS

The people with intellectual disabilities have been reported to be a vulnerable population in terms of oral health. This study was carried out to determine the oral health condition and treatment needs of Special Olympics athletes in Brazil.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective review of oral health data collected from athletes participating in Healthy Athletes Program Special Olympics in Brazil, between the years 2015 and 2019. About 1241 athletes from the Brazil Special Olympics program were screened in the cities of São Paulo, Jundiai and Belo Horizonte (located in southeastern Brazil) and Recife (in northeastern Brazil). At each of these events, volunteer dental professionals performed an oral health screening for each athlete, All oral health assessments were done visually; and extra lighting were available if needed. The examinations were performed with the aid of a wooden spatula of the tongue depressor type and under natural light. The following parameters were recorded: mouth pain, untreated tooth decay, missing teeth, gingival signs, urgency and mouth hygiene habits. Data was analyzed using the STATA 14.0 program. Frequency tables were used for descriptive analyses. Categorical variables were compared between the different years of the event using the Chi-Square or Fisher's Exact test. Continuous variables were compared between different event years using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post-hoc analyses. Simple logistic regression was used to assess the effect of age on dental assessment results. For all tests, a p-value was considered significant when less than or equal to .05.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were observed in the frequencies of Mouth Pain and Missing Teeth over the years (p > .05). In relation to Untreated Tooth Decay, there is a higher frequency in the years 2016 and 2018 and a lower frequency in the year 2015 (p = .048). Regarding Gingival Signs of inflammation, there is a higher frequency in the years 2016 and 2018 and a lower frequency in the year 2017 (p < .001). In relation to cases of urgency (in need of treatment (Urgent treatment need, Non-Urgent or Maintenance)), there was a higher frequency (no urgency) in 2016 (p = .007). Finally, in relation to mouth hygiene habits, there is a higher frequency of participants with irregular habits in the years 2017 and 2019 (p < .001).

CONCLUSION

The dental condition of Brazilian athletes Special Olympycs Brazil reported in this study from 2015 to 2019 showed us that athletes have a high prevalence of dental diseases and these needs could contribute to health damage. The athletes have many unmet dental treatment needs and these needs are similar in different regions of the country and in the years reported.

Ecological Study on the Oral Health of Romanian Intellectually Challenged Athletes

This study aimed to give an image of the oral health status and treatment needs of intellectually challenged athletes taking part in Special Olympics—Special Smiles (SO-SS) events organized in Romania during 2011–2019 and to find potential associations with socio-economic factors. An observational ecological retrospective study was conducted, and 1860 oral examinations were performed on participants aged 8 to 30 years in nine SS-SO events. Oral examination was performed under field conditions. Percentage of caries-free subjects, mean DMF-T index and its components (D = decayed; M = missing; F = filled; T = teeth), restoration index RI = [F/(F + D) × 100]%, and Plaque Index were calculated for each of the nine groups. Caries-free subjects ranged between 5.90% and 21.70%. DMF-T ranged from 4.27 to 7.71. Higher values for “F” component (range 0.66–1.69) and RI (range 13.02–27.74%) were found in events held in cities from regions with higher reported Gross Domestic Product. Sealants were present in 0 to 8.4% of the subjects. In areas with lower numbers of inhabitants per dentist, more sealants were found (p < 0.001). Romanian SO athletes exhibited relatively poor oral health, limited access to dental treatment, and low level of prevention. Targeted prevention and treatment programs adjusted to specific conditions in each geo-economic region are needed.