FOCUS GROUPS IN BABY BOTTLE TOOTH DECAY (BBTD) IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF LOIZA

在婴幼儿中，婴儿龋齿通常被称为婴儿奶瓶， 蛀牙（BBTD）仍然是一个持续的问题，没有足够的 决议在波多黎各，似乎对一般和 牙齿健康 我们最近的研究发现患病率为41%， 在东部地区某些选定社区查明的风险因素 来自波多黎各。 基于这些结果，需要研究来解决为什么 波多黎各儿童经历这种疾病，特别是妥协 病人 该提案试图开始建立一个方案， 这些目标是证明在高水平下预防BBTD是可能的。 波多黎各儿童的风险群体。 该项目的目标是 制定基于社区和文化敏感的干预措施， 低社会经济地位群体和艾滋病毒血清反应阳性的波多黎各人中的BMTD 母亲/照顾者和儿童。 这一目标符合《公约》的宗旨， 《2000年健康人》的新目标，旨在预防BBTD和 建议开展活动，提高家长和看护人的认识。 具体目标是：（1）发展对波多黎各人的了解 养育过程，以及如何随着时间的推移， 婴儿龋齿 这将是实现洞察的态度， 育龄妇女的信仰、偏好和行为， 关于育儿做法和BBTD以及打算或试图 采取行动（2）对口腔健康问题进行定性评估 婴儿和学龄前儿童的死亡率。实现这些 目标是从市政府抽样24组10名母亲/照顾者 将有针对性地筛选具有特定特征的洛伊扎的妇女， 通过焦点小组的方法。 问题将集中在（1）儿童 喂养实践即，奶瓶喂养，断奶， 吃零食（2）儿童牙齿护理和其他卫生习惯（3）认识 其相对重要性，以及防止 疾病（4）儿童健康和气质，社会支持和生活压力， （5）父母/照顾者的牙科护理经验。 所有讲习班都将进行录音和录像，以便进行数据分析， 评价目的。焦点小组方法将允许确定 现实的行为风险因素和干预策略， 否则，父母不会在其他评价方法中提出。 一个咨询委员会将与项目工作人员合作， 进入研究人群。

Among infants and toddlers, infant caries commonly called Baby Bottle Tooth Decay (BBTD) continues to be a constant problem without adequate resolution in Puerto Rico and appears to have consequences for general and dental health. Our recent work has found a 41% prevalence and has identified risk factors in some selected communities of the Eastern region of Puerto Rico. Based on these results, research is needed to address why Puerto Rican children experience the disease specially the compromised patient. This proposal attempts to begin to establish a program whose goals are the demonstration that prevention of BBTD is possible in high risk groups of Puerto Rican children. The objective of this project is to develop a community-based and culturally sensitive intervention to prevent BBTD among low socioeconomic groups and HIV seropositive Puerto Rican mothers/caretakers and children. Such an objective is congruent with the new objective in Healthy People 2000 aimed at preventing BBTD and the recommended campaign that enhances parent and caretaker awareness. Specific aims are: (1) to develop an understanding of the Puerto Rican parenting process and how it many be best influenced over time to prevent infant caries. This will be achieve gaining insight into the attitudes, beliefs, preferences and behaviors of women of childbearing age and their mothers regarding childcaring practices and BBTD and intent or attempts to take action (2) to obtain a qualitative assessment of oral health problems among infants and pre-school children in this population. To achieve these aims a sample of 24 groups of 10 mothers/caretakers from the Municipality of Loiza, with specific characteristics, will be targeted and screened though the focus-group methodology. The questions will focus on (1) child feeding-practices i.e., bottlefeeding, weaning from the bottle, and snacking (2) child dental care and other hygiene practices (3) awareness of BBTD, its relative importance, and intent and attempts to prevent disease (4) child health and temperament, social support, and life stress, and self-efficacy and (5) dental care experiences of the parent/caretaker. All workshops will be audio-taped and video-taped for data analysis and evaluation purposes. The focus group methodology will allow to identify realistic behavioral risk factors and interventions strategies that otherwise would not be presented by parents in other evaluation methods. An Advisory Board will work with project staff to help select and gain access to study populations.