Oral Care Experiences of Latino Parents/Caregivers with Children with Autism and with Typically Developing Children

Lucía I. Floríndez, Daniella C. Floríndez, Francesca M. Floríndez, Dominique H. Como, Elizabeth Pyatak, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Jose C. Polido and Sharon A. Cermak
Additional contact information
Lucía I. Floríndez: USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Daniella C. Floríndez: SOS Mentor, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Francesca M. Floríndez: Willamette Academy, Willamette University, Salem, OR 97301, USA
Dominique H. Como: USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Elizabeth Pyatak: USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati: Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Jose C. Polido: Division of Dentistry, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
Sharon A. Cermak: USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: As a result of various barriers, several pediatric populations are at risk for poor oral health, including children with disabilities and children from under-represented populations, such as Latinos. To this end, this study aimed to better understand the factors that affect the oral health experiences of 32 Latino parents/caregivers from 18 families ( n = 8 with a typically developing child and n = 10 with a child with Autism). Using a qualitative descriptive methodology, each family was interviewed twice. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded thematically to identify the individual, social, systemic, and culturally rooted factors contributing to oral health disparities in the families. The three themes that arose were “Why would I want to start trouble?”: Latino parents’ dissatisfaction with dental treatments, costs, and fear of the dentist and health care providers because of their ethnic minority status as key factors inhibiting receipt of dental care; “We have to put our children first”: prioritizing the oral care activities of their children over their own individual oral care needs; and “We always keep baking soda around”: familial and cultural influences on oral care habits. Understanding the oral health beliefs and experiences of Latino parents and caregivers of children with and without autism is critical for developing targeted prevention and intervention programs and reducing oral health disparities.

Keywords: Latinos; oral care; health disparities; children; culture; autism spectrum disorder (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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