Oral health beliefs and behavior among young adults in Appalachian Kentucky |
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| Authors: | Matthew W Savage Allison M Scott Joanna A Aalboe Sharlee Burch Pamela Sparks Stein VanArsdall Raynor Mullins |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Communication, College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA;2. Department of Communication, College of Communication and Information, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA;3. Division of Public Health Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Science, Center for Oral Health Research, University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Lexington, KY, USA;4. Division of Public Health Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Science, University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Chandler Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA |
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| Abstract: | We used communication infrastructure theory to investigate oral health beliefs and behavior among young adults in Appalachian Kentucky. We conducted 7 focus groups with 67 participants who reported poor oral health behavior, but this was not necessarily the result of poor oral health knowledge. Participants identified several sociocultural factors affecting their oral health, including lack of oral health prioritization among older generations, and risky health behaviors that competed with good oral health. These sociocultural factors create a context in which standard oral health recommendations are commonly seen as excessive. Participants described various responses to the poor oral health in the region, including fatalism and a distrust of dentists, and that oral healthcare professionals may be using potentially problematic communication tactics. Practical implications for designing effective oral health promotion campaigns in the region and theoretical implications for developing social-contextual frameworks of oral health promotion are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | Health and culture oral health disparities Appalachian health dentist–patient communication communication infrastructure theory |
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