Framing Young Children’s Oral Health: a Participatory Action Research Project

Objectives: The motivation for this study stems from the need to address the gap in knowledge of family and community factors relevant and influential with regard to improving young children’s oral health. The project seeks to gain insight into what parents of young children themselves consider as important and potentially modifiable factors and resources influencing their children’s oral health, within the contexts of the family and the community.
Methods: This qualitative study employs Photovoice, a community-participatory action methodology that has been used successfully in several domains of public health inquiry. Eligible participants were English-speaking parents of infants and toddlers (6-36 months of age) who are residents of Durham County in North Carolina and clients of the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children’s (WIC). The primary research question that was posed to participants was “What do you consider as important behaviors, as well as family and community resources to prevent cavities among young children?” Four group sessions involving presentation and discussion of photos obtained by the participants are planned. Group discussions are audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative methodology and the Atlas.ti.7.5.9 software.
Results: Nine participants were enrolled and have participated in the first three Photovoice sessions. Parents/caregivers were forthright about their experiences regarding their children’s oral health-related behaviors—emerging themes from the group sessions included convenience, comfort, struggle, frustration, time, routine, moderation, misconceptions about oral health, strategy and cost.
Conclusions: The role of parents/caregivers is pivotal in determining their children’s oral health trajectory and interventions aimed to improve it should take into consideration the role of families and the communities they live in. Photovoice is a useful participatory research approach that can aid individuals and communities in identifying pragmatic and relevant health-promoting interventions.