Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109072

Tracy L. Finlayson, BS, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 109 S. Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, 734-709-6742, tfinlays@umich.edu, Kristine Siefert, PhD, MPH, School of Social Work, NIMH Reseach Center on Poverty, Risk, and Mental Health, University of Michigan, 1080 S. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, and Amid Ismail, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, 1011 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078.

Background: Dental caries is the most common disease affecting children and is disproportionately high among poor African-American children in Detroit. The Detroit Dental Health Project (DDHP) collected extensive data from a population-based sample of lower-income African-American families on their dental outcomes and practices, health and parenting beliefs, and socio-environmental factors in a study of oral health disparities.

Objective: To advance knowledge of the social determinants of low-income African-American children's oral health, by examining how specific maternal beliefs, behaviors, and psychosocial factors relate to children's dental outcomes and practices.

Methods: 719 African-American children aged 1-5 and their mothers living in Detroit who participated in DDHP 2002-3 were studied. Descriptive and regression analyses of survey and dental exam data were conducted in SUDAAN.

Health belief scales (efficacy, fatalism, hygiene and bottle knowledge) were constructed with exploratory factor analysis. Mothers' beliefs, behaviors, background, and psychosocial characteristics (depression, stress, social support) were examined as predictors of children's brushing frequency, Early Childhood Caries (ECC) status, and subjective oral health ratings.

Supplemental focus groups further investigated caregiver-identified barriers to taking care of children's teeth.

Results: Some specific social cognitive and psychosocial characteristics are significantly associated with children's brushing and dental health in earliest childhood. Notably, mothers' efficacy, hygiene knowledge, fatalism, and brushing behavior predicted children's brushing and higher parenting stress was inversely related to ECC.

Conclusion: Findings can inform the design of a tailored intervention which enhances efficacy and educates mothers about ECC, to boost her motivation and ability to positively affect young children's oral health.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the prevalence and correlates of dental caries in early childhood among African American children in Detroit;
• Describe current research findings linking caregiver social cognitive and psychosocial beliefs and children's oral health, and
• Discuss cognitive-behavioral intervention strategies based on these findings to reduce the public health burden of oral health disparities.

Keywords: Oral Health Outcomes, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.