Other
Alaleh Zadmehr, DDS (she/her/hers)
Pediatric dentist resident
university of California San Francisco
UCSF
Woodside, California, United States
Jean M. Calvo, DDS, MPH
HS Assistant Clinical Prof
University of California, San Francisco
University of California San Francisco
San Francsico, California, United States
Thomas Tanbonliong, DDS
Program Director
University of California, San Francsico
SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States
Purpose: The objective of this qualitative study was to assess the oral health knowledge, beliefs, and practices of immigrant Afghan parents of preschool-aged children.
Methods: Recruitment flyers in English and Farsi were posted in mosques and Afghan supermarkets in the California Bay Area. Inclusion criteria were parents of healthy children 6 years or younger who immigrated to the United States within the last 10 years. Interviews were completed in Farsi using an interview guide consisting of questions about the knowledge of caries, parental oral hygiene practices, and barriers to access dental care. Interviews were audio-recorded, translated to English and transcribed. Qualitative analysis was completed.
Results:
A total of 10 interviews were completed in Farsi. The knowledge of Afghan immigrant parents about children’s oral health and oral hygiene practices ranged widely. In addition to poor oral hygiene, participants described the etiology of caries as including lack of breastfeeding, the weather and water conditions in the United States, feeding children formula, mothers' complicated pregnancy and high consumption of sugar in the children’s daily diet. Participants described language and cultural differences, financial difficulties, and resettlement issues as the main barriers to accessing dental care for their children.
Conclusion: This study provides information that can contribute to improving patient experience and oral health knowledge for Afghan immigrant families in the dental setting. There is a need for dental providers to increase their understanding of Afghan culture and values when providing care to the Afghan immigrant population.