Oral Health Barriers for African American Caregivers of Autistic Children

Dominique H. Como (), Lucía I. Floríndez-Cox, Leah I. Stein Duker and Sharon A. Cermak
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Dominique H. Como: Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Lucía I. Floríndez-Cox: Nursing Research and Performance Improvement Department, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
Leah I. Stein Duker: Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Sharon A. Cermak: Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: The most persistent oral health disparities in the United States impact children from racial and ethnic minoritized groups and children diagnosed as autistic. This paper aims to describe barriers to oral care as depicted by Black/African American (B/AA) parents of autistic children to further explore how and why oral health disparities persist in this population. A purposeful sample of eleven caregivers of autistic children, ages 4 to 14 years, who identified as B/AA were interviewed twice for approximately 60–90 min each. Thematic analysis utilizing a narrative approach was employed. Three themes emerged from the data concerning the barriers that affect oral health experiences: (a) difficulty in maintaining good oral health practices, (b) challenges with access to care and resources, and (c) poor patient-provider relationships. Due to the limited research that examines the intersection of autism, B/AA culture, and oral health practices, this study provides a rich picture of the barriers families face when obtaining oral care. Many families raised issues that other parents of autistic children also identified. B/AA caregivers have demonstrated that despite their own negative dental experiences, they understand the value of good oral care practices and are willing to pursue oral care for their children.

Keywords: oral health; autism; African American; barriers; health equity; children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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