IADR Abstract Archives
Impact of Acculturation on Oral Health of Somali Refugees in Minnesota
Objectives: Minnesota is home to the largest population of Somali refugees in the world. While resettlement has been shown to impact health outcomes, little is known about the impact of acculturation on Somali oral health. The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between Somali maternal acculturation and child caries experience. A secondary aim was to utilize and evaluate a revision of an established acculturation scale (East African Women's Acculturation Scale) relative to oral health.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used a community-based approach to collect clinical and survey data in daycare centers serving predominantly Somali families. Mothers and at least one child participated in a limited oral screening using the DMFS/dmfs for permanent or primary teeth, respectively. Ten acculturation items were divided into three subscale factors – preference for Somali culture, orientation to US culture, and primary language use. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were conducted using SAS statistical software.
Results: The majority of mothers were born in Somalia, spoke Somali, were Muslim and lived an average of 9.7 years in the US. Mean primary teeth caries experience (SD) was 2.4 (6.2) for children aged 2-5 years and 4.6 (8.7) for those 6-11 years. Mother's language proficiency was statistically significant only for the second oldest child by birth order in the analysis. There was a positive correlation between mother’s length of time in the US and caries experience for the second and youngest children. Statistically significant correlations were found for mothers with higher levels of acculturation and lower numbers of untreated decayed teeth surfaces for their children.
Conclusions: Somali mothers' acculturation had limited association with their child's caries experience, but a significant relationship exists between more acculturated mothers and their children's treated decay. This study demonstrated the utility of the revised acculturation scale in an oral health application.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used a community-based approach to collect clinical and survey data in daycare centers serving predominantly Somali families. Mothers and at least one child participated in a limited oral screening using the DMFS/dmfs for permanent or primary teeth, respectively. Ten acculturation items were divided into three subscale factors – preference for Somali culture, orientation to US culture, and primary language use. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were conducted using SAS statistical software.
Results: The majority of mothers were born in Somalia, spoke Somali, were Muslim and lived an average of 9.7 years in the US. Mean primary teeth caries experience (SD) was 2.4 (6.2) for children aged 2-5 years and 4.6 (8.7) for those 6-11 years. Mother's language proficiency was statistically significant only for the second oldest child by birth order in the analysis. There was a positive correlation between mother’s length of time in the US and caries experience for the second and youngest children. Statistically significant correlations were found for mothers with higher levels of acculturation and lower numbers of untreated decayed teeth surfaces for their children.
Conclusions: Somali mothers' acculturation had limited association with their child's caries experience, but a significant relationship exists between more acculturated mothers and their children's treated decay. This study demonstrated the utility of the revised acculturation scale in an oral health application.