Sociocultural determinants of children’s oral health among immigrants in Canada
Abstract
A conceptual model was designed and tested to predict immigrant children’s oral health in Canada by examining parental acculturation and perceived social support (PSS) using structural equation modelling. A convenience sample of first-generation immigrant parents and their children aged 2–12 years were recruited by multilingual community workers in Edmonton, AB, Canada. Parents completed a validated questionnaire on demographics, child’s oral health (OH) behaviours, parental acculturation and PSS. Dental examinations determined children’s dental caries rate using DMFT/dmft index. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. A total of 336 families participated in this study. The findings emphasize the important role of parental acculturation and PSS levels in predicting immigrant children’s oral health behaviours and dental caries.
Notes
Future research / gaps identified:
Continue conducting studies on the sociocultural influences on immigrants’ oral health to better understand its complexities and potential areas of intervention.
Open access: Yes
Community organizations: n/a
Integration timeline: 1st generation immigrant parents
Key findings:
1) The average parental acculturation level was 10.46 (out of 15), and the average parental perceived social support (PSS) was 63.27 (out of 75).
2) 77% of the variance of children’s dental caries was explained by parental PSS, acculturation level, immigration-related variables, socioeconomic variables and children’s oral health (OH) behaviours.
3) The direct effect of parental PSS was associated with a significantly reduced rate of dental caries and lower sugar consumption.
4) The mediation effect of parental acculturation on PSS was associated with positive OH behaviours of children (e.g., toothbrushing frequency and dental care utilization).
5) The indirect effect of increased parental acculturation was a negative association with dental caries rate.
Key populations: 1st generation immigrant parents with children ages 2- 12 years old
Key recommendations:
1) Increase awareness of the sociocultural factors influencing immigrants’ oral health and take those factors into consideration by all stakeholders.
2) Educate dental practitioners in sociocultural factors when treating immigrant patients and for community workers when developing oral health promotion programs.
Location: Edmonton, AB