UV promotes oral and nutritional education at Valparaiso school
16/10/2024UV Press Summary / October 2024
UV promotes oral and nutritional health education project at Valparaiso school
CIESAL researcher Marjorie Borgeat is one of the directors of the initiative.
The Escuela Pacifico, a school located in the upper part of Playa Ancha with 131 students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, is the setting for an important project to promote healthy habits, led by the Universidad de Valparaíso’s Schools of Dentistry and Nutrition and Dietetics. The programme seeks to improve the oral and nutritional health of students through evaluations, educational workshops and preventive activities, along with the implementation of a school toothbrush storage rack and a school vegetable garden, among other activities.
Marjorie Borgeat, an academic at the UV School of Dentistry, researcher at CIESAL, and one of the directors of the initiative, explained that the project, approved in January this year and funded by the Vice-Rector’s Office for Community Outreach within the framework of the UVA 2295 project, will run until May 2025.
‘The choice of this establishment reflects the fact that it is situated in Playa Ancha, as is our School of Dentistry, as well as its socially vulnerable status, which makes it an ideal place to implement preventive activities for children who really need it,’ Borgeat said.
The programme has involved the active participation of the school’s educational staff and has succeeded in instilling oral hygiene habits. Borgeat explained that all the children at the school were given a complete dental examination, and preventive workshops were held on cavities, gum disease, tobacco and alcohol use, as well as oral cancer awareness.
The project has also had a positive impact on the training of UV dentistry students, who have actively participated in the development of educational materials. The professor also announced that an educational book for families will be published this October, which will help consolidate the continued existence of the programme.
Collaboration with the local community has also been key to keeping the project going and ensuring its viability. ‘It is a joint effort that not only benefits the schoolchildren, but also their families by providing education and support on issues crucial to their health and well-being,’ said Professor Borgeat.
The success of the project has been possible thanks to the commitment of a multidisciplinary team, made up of teachers and students from both Schools and the Universidad de Valparaiso hopes to replicate this model in other educational establishments, expanding the impact of this innovative community outreach initiative.