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 龋齿(BBTD)仍然是一个持续存在的问题，缺乏足够的 波多黎各的决议，似乎对一般和 牙齿健康。我们最近的研究发现41%的患病率和 确定东部地区一些选定社区的风险因素 波多黎各的。基于这些结果，需要进行研究来解决为什么 波多黎各儿童经历了这种疾病，特别是那些受到损害的人 有耐心的。这项提案试图开始建立一个项目，其 目标是证明预防BBTD在高水平是可能的 波多黎各儿童的风险群体。这个项目的目标是 制定以社区为基础的、对文化敏感的干预措施，以防止 低社会经济群体和艾滋病毒血清阳性波多黎各人的BBTD 母亲/照顾者和儿童。这样的目标与 2000年《健康人》新目标旨在预防BBTD和 提高家长和照顾者意识的推荐活动。 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对其产生最佳影响，以防止 婴儿龋齿。这将实现对态度的洞察， 育龄妇女的信仰、偏好、行为及其影响因素 母亲关于育儿实践和BBTD以及意图或尝试 采取行动(2)获得口腔健康问题的定性评估 在这一人群中的婴儿和学龄前儿童中。要实现这些目标 目标是从市政府抽取24组10名母亲/照顾者 将有针对性地筛选具有特定特征的Loiza 通过焦点小组的方法。问题将集中在(1)儿童身上 喂奶--即瓶装喂奶、断奶和 零食(2)儿童牙科护理和其他卫生习惯(3)意识 BBTD，其相对重要性，以及意图和试图防止 疾病(4)儿童健康和气质、社会支持和生活压力， 自我效能感和(5)父母/照顾者的牙齿护理经历。 将对所有讲习班进行录音和录像，以便进行数据分析和 评估目的。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，家长不会在其他评价方法中提出。 咨询委员会将与项目工作人员合作，帮助选择和获得 接触研究人群的机会。

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.