ETHNIC/RACIAL CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN ORAL HEALTH

University Of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project 3: Oral health disparities exist in this nation, especially among low-income and ethniclminority children. This epidemic has been highlighted most recently in the Surgeon General's report on oral health. Current research has focused on describing the magnitude of the problem and has not pursued the reasons behind these racial and ethnic disparities. This research proposal is designed to better understand barriers, including cultural barriers related to knowledge, attitudes and behaviors to accessing preventive oral health care for children between 1 and 5 years of age using a qualitative methodology, focus groups. The specific aim of the 5 is to identify barriers to accessing preventive oral health care among African American, Chinese, Filipino and Hispaaic caregivers of children between 1 and 5 years of age, including those related to culture as measured by knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. During year one and two of the project, focus groups among f i c a n Americans, Chinese, Filipinos and Latinos will be conducted of the caregivers with children between 1-5 years of age to identifj, cultural barriers and other barriers to accessing preventive oral health care. To better understand the populations involved, it wilI be important to recruit older and younger caregivers, newcomers as well as those already acculturated into western society to explore differences among different groups. Such a study addresses one of the three core public health functions, assessment of barriers to preventive oral health care including cultural factors of caregivers, Moreover, two other core public health functions may be impacted as well depending on the outcome of this study, i.e. policy development and assurance of development of programs to improve the oral health of the affected population.