Dental Superheroine: A Culturally Adapted Storytelling Strategy for Oral Health Education in Rural Peru

Introduction and aims: Oral health problems remain a serious concern in rural areas of underdeveloped countries, where high rates of dental caries and periodontal disease are worsened by limited access to health education. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a culturally adapted dental superheroine to promote oral hygiene practices by encouraging oral health education. Methods: This study was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved designing the character and adapting it culturally through stakeholder interviews and qualitative analysis. In the second phase, the superheroine was publicly introduced during a community event, followed by a structured survey of 300 participants to assess public perception and cultural identification. Results: Overall, 82% of the respondents had a very positive perception of the superheroine, and 89.67% of the participants rated the initiative as positive. A significant correlation was found between cultural engagement and positive perception (r = 0.749, P < .05), whereas a regression analysis indicated that 56.1% of the variance in positive perception could be attributed to the level of cultural engagement (R² = 0.561). Conclusions: The dental superheroine model represents a constructivist approach that integrates education with local culture. Its scalability and adaptability make it a promising strategy for implementation in similar contexts. Clinical relevance: This study highlights the importance of adapting public health strategies to local traditions and customs, which could improve the effectiveness of interventions in rural settings where traditional strategies may not be as effective.