Latino caregivers' conceptions of cavity causes

Background: This study sought contextual understanding of Latino immigrant caregivers' perceptions and behaviors surrounding early childhood caries (ECC), which disproportionately affects Latino children.

Methods: In the urban city of San Jose, CA, we conducted open-ended qualitative interviews with a convenience sample of 50 Latino caregivers of children aged 1 to 5 years about their beliefs and experiences surrounding their children's oral health. Audio-taped in-depth interviews were conducted in Spanish, then transcribed and translated to English transcripts, which were independently read and thematically analyzed by two researchers using the NVivo software package.

Results: All 50 caregivers mentioned specific causes of cavities, most frequently citing candy or juice consumption (92%), poor oral hygiene (70%) and use of the bottle (62%). Those that mentioned bottle use demonstrated confusion about exactly how the bottle is detrimental to teeth, offering reasons that include sleeping with the bottle, exposure to the rubber nipple, the act of sucking, use well into toddler years, and sweet liquid contents. Nearly half of the caregivers also mentioned secondary cavity causes such as genetics, lack of calcium, not going to the dentist, or lack of fluoride.

Conclusion: Caregivers recognize the importance of sugar consumption, poor oral hygiene, and bottle use in causing cavities. However, there are some inaccurate assumptions about why the bottle is harmful, which could lead to ineffective ECC prevention efforts by caregivers.

Support: Funded by NIDCR U54 DE14251