Oral Health Promotion via Religious Institutions in Malaysia: A Formative Qualitative Evaluation

Introduction: Kolaborasi Oral dan Agama (KOA) initiatives, a collaboration between Malaysia’s Oral Health Programme and religious organisations, aim to promote oral health awareness and practices through religious institutions such as mosques, temples and churches. This study aimed to conduct a formative evaluation of the KOA initiatives in Pahang, Malaysia, focusing on facilitating factors, barriers, and community acceptance from the perspectives of dental officers, religious representatives, and community members. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 purposively selected participants, including dental officers, religious representatives, and community members from diverse religious backgrounds. Thematic analysis was conducted on the transcribed data using NVivo software, with a focus on feasibility, acceptability, and strategies for improvement. Results: Six themes emerged regarding facilitating factors and barriers. Facilitating factors included effective management, strong collaboration, utilisation of existing resources, and strategic timing and venues. The identified barriers included increased workload and challenging environmental conditions. The KOA initiatives were positively received, particularly for providing free services on non-working days. Suggestions for improvement included enhancing promotion, increasing the workforce, and strengthening inter-agency collaboration. Conclusion: KOA initiatives effectively engage communities through intersectoral collaboration; however, challenges remain in resource allocation and communication. The positive reception suggests continued and expanded implementation, incorporating feedback to improve sustainability and community impact.