BRIDGING SOCIO-CULTURAL BOUNDARIES IN ORAL HEALTH

这个项目广泛的长期目标是使用一个基于网络的工具（EthnoDent）来提高各种牙科医生的文化能力。除了美国之外，华盛顿州的人口在民族和种族构成方面也越来越多样化。1995年至2025年间，国际移民将给华盛顿州带来额外的394,000人（Campbell, 1996）。随着许多少数民族文化的涌入，美国文化正变得越来越异质，这些少数民族文化有自己的信仰和传统，可能只有一个共同点，即生活在同一个国家-口腔健康状况较差（Brookins, 1993; Ahmann, 1994）。尽管对儿童（龋齿）等口腔健康疾病的知识有所提高，但美国的低收入和少数民族人口受益的程度低于其他群体（Seow, 1998; Milnes, 1996）。随着人口多样性的增加，医疗服务提供者将照顾不同文化背景的患者，这些患者可能对健康和疾病不具有相同的传统或意义。文化产生的潜在传统和价值观可能支配着该群体对健康、疾病和治疗方法的理解。不能进行跨文化交流可能会损害卫生专业人员为患者提供最适当护理的有效性，并可能影响患者的依从性。目前的项目建议开发一个基于we的工具（EthnoDent），该工具将侧重于减少儿童口腔健康领域提供者和多文化患者之间的文化障碍，该工具将侧重于减少儿童口腔健康领域提供者和多文化患者之间的文化障碍。建议研究的具体目的是：1)定性描述美洲原住民/阿拉斯加原住民（NA/AN）、亚洲/太平洋岛民（A/PI）和拉丁美洲/西班牙裔（L/H）文化（即传统、信仰/价值观实践）对儿童口腔健康的影响。2)根据收集到的信息开发一个基于网络的工具（EthnoDent），该工具将包含有关儿童口腔健康的文化、语言、信仰、传统和做法的信息。3)描述EthnoDent的使用概况，并根据这些概况的反馈管理系统变更的演变。4)根据这些资料的反馈，确定牙科服务提供者的系统演变是否发生了变化。4)确定牙科服务提供者（如一年级牙科学生、牙科助理和牙科卫生专业学生）的知识和文化能力是否随着EthnoDent的使用而增加。该项目的长期愿景是通过提高提供者与多元文化家庭沟通的态度和技能来减少儿童口腔健康方面的差距。

The broad, long-term objective of this project is to increase cultural competency in a wide array of dental using a web-based tool (EthnoDent). Washington state's population, in addition to the United States, is becoming increasingly diverse in its' ethnic and racial makeup. Between 1995 and 2025, international migration will bring to Washington state an additional 394,000 people (Campbell, 1996). The U.S. culture is becoming more heterogeneous with the influx of many minority cultures who have their own beliefs and traditions and may only share one commonality of living in the same country-poorer oral health status (Brookins, 1993; Ahmann, 1994). Low-income and minority populations in the U.S. have benefitted less than other groups in spite of advances in knowledge of oral health diseases such as childhood (caries (Seow, 1998; Milnes, 1996). As the population's diversity increases, providers will care for multi- cultural patients who may not attribute the same traditions or meanings for health and illness. Underlying traditions and values arising from cultures may govern the group's perceived meaning of health, illness and approach to curing. An inability to communicate cross-culturally may impair health professional's effectiveness at providing the most appropriate care to patients, potentially affecting patient adherence. The current project proposes to develop a we-based tool (EthnoDent) which will focus on reducing cultural barriers between providers and multi- cultural patients in the area of children's which will focus on reducing cultural barriers between providers and multi-cultural patients in the area of children's oral health. The specific aims of the proposed study are; 1) To qualitatively describe the Native American/Alaska Native (NA/AN), Asian /Pacific Islander (A/PI), and Latino/Hispanic (L/H) cultures (i.e., traditions, beliefs/values practices) with respect to children's oral health. 2) To develop a web-based tool (EthnoDent) based on the collected information, which will contain information about the cultures, their languages, beliefs, traditions, and practices with respect to children's oral health. 3) To describe the use profiles of EthnoDent and manage the evolution of system changes based on feedback from these profiles. 4) To determine whether dental providers' evolution of system changes based on feedback from these profiles. 4) To determine whether dental providers' (e.g., first-year dental students, dental assistant and dental hygiene students) knowledge and cultural competency is increased with the used of EthnoDent. The long-term vision of this project is to reduce disparities in children's oral health about enhancing the providers' attitudes and skills in communicating with multi-cultural families.