A community-based oral health self-care intervention for Hispanic families

Abstract

A community-based intervention is described that targets oral health self-care practices among Hispanic children in the United States and is being tested in an ongoing trial. Descriptive results of baseline oral health variables are presented. As of January 2013, 284 Hispanic children of ages 5-7 enrolled in the Healthy Families Study in Nashville, TN, USA. Families are randomized to one of two culturally appropriate interventions. At baseline, 69.6% of children brushed at least twice daily, and 40.6% brushed before bed daily. One-third of parents did not know if their children's toothpaste contained fluoride. This intervention fills the need for community-based interventions to improve oral health self-care practices that are culturally appropriate in Hispanic families.