TALKING ABOUT TEETH: EGOCENTRIC NETWORKS AND ORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN A MEXICAN AMERICAN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
TALKING ABOUT TEETH: EGOCENTRIC NETWORKS AND ORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN A MEXICAN AMERICAN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
复制标题
谈论牙齿：墨西哥裔美国移民社区的自我中心网络和口腔健康结果。
DOI：
10.1108/s1057-629020190000019006
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发表时间：
2019
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Maupome,Gerardo
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Pullen,Erin;Perry,BreaL;Maupome,Gerardo
在美国的拉丁美洲人牙周和牙齿健康的结果很差。然而，驱动这些模式的机制的详细描述只是最近才开始在文献中得到解决。在目前的研究中，我们探讨墨西哥移民的个人层面的特点，他们的网络属性，和牙科问题的经验之间的关系。具体而言，使用数据从墨西哥移民到美国中西部（n= 332）的城市社区，本研究探讨如何口腔健康问题（OHM）的讨论网络和个人层面的社会人口特征与四个不良口腔健康结果。研究结果为移民的网络特征与牙科问题之间的关系提供了有力的支持。我们发现，有更多牙齿问题的人更频繁地谈论这些问题与网络关系。相反，与OHM讨论网络的关系更强，以平均接近度衡量，可以预测更少的牙齿问题。此外，我们还发现了改变者对牙齿、口腔和牙龈知识的感知与自我报告更好的口腔健康结果之间的联系。所观察到的模式是暗示的社会影响机制，以及在社会，医学和公共卫生文献中复制，但很少在口腔健康领域进行实证检验。虽然是初步的，我们的研究结果表明，社交网络在口腔健康差异研究中的一些最重要的问题和问题的潜在解释作用。总之，我们的研究结果表明，社会网络成员积极参与管理和应对口腔健康问题，在这个移民群体，应被视为一个重要因素的发展和病程。
Latinos in the United States have poor outcomes for periodontal and dental health. However, a detailed description of the mechanisms driving these patterns has only recently started to be addressed in the literature. In the current study, we explore relationships between individual-level characteristics of Mexican immigrants, properties of their networks, and experiences of dental problems. Specifically, using data from an urban community of Mexican immigrants to the American Midwest (n= 332), this study examines how characteristics of oral health matters (OHM) discussion networks and individual-level sociodemographic characteristics are associated with four adverse oral health outcomes. The results provide strong support for relationships between immigrants’ network characteristics and dental problems. We find that people with more dental problems talk about these issues more frequently with network ties. Conversely, stronger relationships with OHM discussion networks, as measured by mean closeness, are predictive of fewer dental problems. In addition, we identify a link between perceptions of alters’ knowledge about teeth, mouth, and gums and egos reporting better oral health outcomes. The observed patterns are suggestive of mechanisms of social influence that are well replicated in the social, medical, and public health literatures, but that have seldom been empirically tested in the domain of oral health. Though preliminary, our findings suggest a potential explanatory role for social networks in some of the most important questions and problems in oral health disparities research. In all, our findings suggest that social network members are active participants in the management and response to oral health problems in this immigrant group and should be considered an important factor in the development and course of diseases.