Beyond the Venn Diagram: Theories/Conceptual Models to Inform Oral Health Disparities Research and Public Health Practice

The NIDCR's Strategic Plan for 2009-2013 calls for rigorous, multidisciplinary research to eliminate disparities through the identification of a full range of factors that contribute to oral health inequalities and for interventional, dissemination and implementation studies. Historically caries prevention efforts were focused on individual factors that were characterized in a Venn diagram depicting host (tooth), substrate (plaque with fermentable carbohydrates) and oral microflora intersecting and resulting in caries. Health disparities researchers in partnership with communities are developing new models that take into account a broader array of factors and examining these at multiple levels such as child, family, community, system and policy levels. This approach adds considerable complexity to studies designed to intervene on multiple factors and levels. Theoretical grounding, treatment fidelity adherence, and mechanisms of action exploration are required. This session will describe theories/ conceptual models, and community informed approaches that are being used in contemporary research to develop new public health interventions. Research funding opportunities will also be discussed.