Parental Help Seeking for Dental Care

描述（由申请人提供）：本发展/探索性研究将使用已用于医学的理论模型，以促进获得和改善结果，作为研究低收入和社会弱势西班牙裔，非洲裔美国人和白人父母为什么不为他们的孩子获得牙科护理的出发点。 该提案的短期目标是确定影响父母寻求帮助的心理社会，结构和文化因素，并改进和评估干预措施，以提高父母的牙科护理寻求行为。 这项试点研究的长期目标是在R 01多中心疗效试验中测试社区、家庭和实践方法，以改善获得护理的机会。 试点研究将分两个阶段完成。 在第一阶段，我们将使用焦点小组来制定一个家庭和社区为基础的干预和措施，将用于第二阶段。 在第二阶段，将采用随机对照重复测量设计对干预措施进行试点测试，其中将家庭分配到干预组和对照组。 在实施家庭干预之前和之后的三个评估阶段，将通过电话访问收集所有参与父母的数据。 第三次将从访问牙科诊所的干预组父母和对照组所有父母的子样本中收集数据。 协变量分析和逻辑回归程序将用于分析干预的直接影响。 还将对干预进程进行评价。 需要该试点项目的结果来直接支持R 01多中心干预有效性试验的实施，该试验将（1）对试点研究中使用的措施进行经验交叉验证并完善干预模型，以及（2）测试干预措施的直接和间接影响。 拟议的研究解决了NIDCR的健康差异计划，该计划认识到需要以患者为导向的研究，以了解健康差异的基础：具体而言，社会学，人类学和政治基础的医疗保健寻求行为。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Developmental/Exploratory study will use theoretical models that have been used in medicine to promote access and improve outcomes as the point of departure for examining why low-income and socially disadvantaged Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian parents do not obtain dental care for their children. The short goal of this proposal is to determine the psychosocial, structural and cultural factors that impact parental help seeking and to refine and evaluate an intervention to enhance parental dental care seeking behavior. The long-term goal of this pilot research is to test a community, family, and practice approach to improve access to care in an R01 multi-site efficacy trial. The pilot research will be accomplished in two phases. In Phase I we will use focus groups to develop a family and community based intervention and measures that will be used in Phase II. In Phase II the intervention will be pilot tested using a randomized controlled repeated measures design in which families will be assigned to an intervention group and a control group. Data will be collected from all participating parents by telephone interview at three assessment periods prior to and immediately after the family intervention implementation. Data will be collected for a third time from a subsample of parents in the intervention group who visit the dental office and all parents in the control group. Analysis of Covariates and logic regression procedures will be used to analyze the direct effects of the intervention. Evaluation of the intervention processes will also be conducted. The results of this pilot project are needed to directly support implementation of an R01 multi-site intervention efficacy trial that will (1) empirically cross validate the measures used in the pilot study and refine the intervention model, and (2) test the direct and indirect effects of the interventions. The proposed research addresses the NIDCR's Health Disparities Plan that recognizes the need for patient-oriented research to understand the bases of health disparities: specifically, the sociological, anthropological and political underpinnings of health-care seeking behavior.