Peer-reviewed article
Cultural Adaptation of Oral Health Educational Materials in Two AI Communities
Christine Kirby, Carolyn Camplain, Heather Thomas, Kristan Elwell, Skyler J. Bordeaux et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This article describes how researchers worked with two American Indian tribal communities to adapt oral health education materials aimed at preventing early childhood caries (tooth decay) in young children. The team started from materials used in earlier oral health projects and revised them using early interviews, feedback from community advisory members and a pilot study. The authors report that building trust, drawing on community leaders' knowledge and interviewing community members about daily life helped make the materials culturally appropriate. The article describes a development process and does not report whether the materials improved children's oral health.
Key points
- Early childhood caries is one of the most common chronic diseases in children under age 6 and is especially prevalent in Indigenous communities.
- A feasibility study with two tribal communities adapted an oral health education program using social determinants of health as a guiding framework.
- Establishing trust with the community and drawing on the knowledge of community leaders were key to the adaptation.
- Interviews with community members helped the team understand people's day-to-day lives and shape the materials.
- Standard dental care guidelines exist, but putting them into practice varies widely across communities, so local social and cultural factors must be considered.
Limitations
The abstract describes how materials were developed and adapted, not whether they changed children's oral health or caries rates. Results from two tribal communities may not apply to other communities.
Abstract
Early childhood caries is one of the most common chronic diseases in children under age 6 and is especially prevalent in Indigenous communities. To help prevent early childhood caries, the team conducted a feasibility study with two tribal communities to adapt an oral health education program using social determinants of health as a guiding framework. This article describes the process used to develop and culturally tailor educational materials for the intervention. The team adapted materials from past oral health projects and analyzed data from early interviews and feedback from community advisory members. These materials were then refined based on a pilot study to ensure they reflected community knowledge, priorities, and culture. Key findings include the importance of establishing trust with the community, drawing on the knowledge of community leaders, and using interviews with community members to gain a fuller understanding of their day-to-day lives. These insights were used to shape the oral health materials in ways that were meaningful, culturally grounded, and locally appropriate. Although there are standard dental care guidelines to prevent tooth decay in children, putting those guidelines into practice varies widely across communities. Our work shows that local social and cultural factors must be considered when designing education programs. By partnering closely with the communities involved, we were able to develop materials that responded to their lived experiences and specific barriers to oral health. This process highlights how culturally tailored education may help reduce oral health disparities in Indigenous populations.