185 - Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Haitian Families

Purpose: To assess the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Haitian and Haitian-American families in South Florida.  



Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2022 - March 2023 using a convenience sample of parents who sought care for their children at the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and Borinquen Medical Center. A 15-item questionnaire (Creole, English and Spanish) was administered to Haitian-identifying parents (cases) and non-Haitian (controls). 



Results: Ninety-two parents/caregivers completed the questionnaire. For both Haitian and Non-Haitian groups, most of the participants (77% vs.72%) were mothers. The highest level of education attained by both groups was similar; i.e., high school or GED (43% vs. 40%). Pertaining to oral health practices, 74% Haitians reported that their child brushed two or more times per day as opposed to 91% in the non-Haitians, and nearly 94% of Haitians vs. 68% of non-Haitians reported their children consumed bottled water as their primary water source. A higher percent of Haitians (81%) responded that they believed it was very important to fix baby teeth compared to the non-Haitians (72%). Regarding oral health knowledge, the Haitians scored lower compared to the non-Haitians (55% vs. 62%, P< .05).  



Conclusion: There are opportunities to educate and improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Haitian and Haitian-American families and ultimately their oral health outcomes.