Oral health beliefs and behavior among young adults in Appalachian Kentucky

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Health and culture
• oral health disparities
• Appalachian health
• dentist–patient communication
• communication infrastructure theory

Acknowledgements

The authors thank student members of the BPRT, Haylie Dennis, Carina Zelaya, and Ahmad Nawaz, for assisting with gathering literature and organizing qualitative data. The authors appreciate the contributions of the focus group moderators who volunteered their time to help investigate this important topic, as well as the ARDEP team members from Morehead State University led by Dr Gerald DeMoss and Dr Brenda Wilburn (retired).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The Appalachian Regional Commission funded this research through the Appalachian Rural Dental Education Partnership (ARDEP).