Using a Social Network Approach to Characterize Oral Health Behavior Social Support Among Mexican-Origin Young Adults.

Using a social network approach, we characterize who Mexican-origin young adults perceive as social support sources for oral health behaviors and provide additional validity evidence for Oral Health Behavior Social Support Scales (OHBSS). From April to September 2022, we gathered social network data from 62 Mexican-origin adults (21-40 years old) through Zoom interviews about their perceived received social support for three oral health behaviors (toothbrushing, flossing, and obtaining dental care) from three potential sources of support (family, health providers, and others/friends). Overall, we found similar results across all three oral health behaviors.

Psychosocial Determinants of Poor Dental Attendance Among Young Mexican-Identifying Adults in California.

Objective: Engagement in preventive dental care is a complex health behaviour and is determined by multiple factors. The study aimed to understand the association of psychosocial determinants with poor dental attendance.

Methods: Survey data from 333 Mexican-identifying adults in California aged 21-40-year were analysed.

A Comparative Analysis of Oral Health and Self-Rated Health: 'All of Us Research Program' vs. 'Health and Retirement Study'.

Poor oral health can impact overall health. This study assessed the association between dental factors (dentate status and dental utilization) and self-rated health (S-RH) among older adults in two cross-sectional datasets: (1) NIH "All of Us (AoU) Research Program" (May 2018-July 2022 release) and (2) U.S.

Using the Expanded Andersen Model to Determine Factors Associated with Mexican Adolescents' Utilization of Dental Services.

Many factors contribute as facilitators of or barriers to adolescents' use of dental services. Guided by the expanded Andersen model for dental service utilization, the aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the use of dental services among adolescents ages 12-16 in south Mexico City ( = 247). Adolescents answered a questionnaire on predisposing factors (age and gender), enabling factors (socioeconomic status, oral health support, parental years of education, and previous dental treatments), and psychosocial and behavioral factors (attitudes towards oral health; knowledge of gingivitis; alcohol, drug, and tobacco use; and depressive symptoms), and they underwent a visual clinical exam to determine their need factors (caries and gingivitis).

Aging Out of Dependent Coverage and Health Insurance Trends, 2014-2019.

Objective: To examine changes in health insurance coverage when adults age out of dependent coverage at age 26 after the implementation of most Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions. Our analysis also documented differences by sex, race and ethnicity, and state Medicaid expansion status.

Methods: We used a regression discontinuity design and the 2014-2019 American Community Survey to estimate coverage changes (uninsured, any private, employer-sponsored coverage, direct purchase, and Medicaid) at age 26.

Association between maternal decision-making and mental health and the nutritional status of children under 6 years of age in sub-urban Nigeria.

Background: We assessed the association between decision-making power and mental health status of mothers and the nutritional status of their children less than 6 years old in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of 1549 mother-child dyads collected through a household survey conducted between December 2019 and January 2020. The independent variables were maternal decision-making and mental health status (general anxiety, depressive symptoms, parental stress).

Association Between Medicaid Dental Payment Policies and Children's Dental Visits, Oral Health, and School Absences.

Importance: Although all state Medicaid programs cover children's dental services, less than half of publicly insured children receive recommended care.

Objective: To evaluate the association between the ratio of Medicaid payment rates to dentist charges for an index of services (fee ratio) and children's preventive dental visits, oral health, and school absences.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this cross-sectional study, a difference-in-differences analysis was conducted between September 2021 and April 2022 of 15 738 Medicaid-enrolled children and a control group of 16 867 privately insured children aged 6 to 17 years who participated in the 2016-2019 National Survey of Children's Health.

Relationship Between Sexual Orientation and Human Papillomavirus-Related Oral Cancer Knowledge and Awareness.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oral cancers are increasing, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other people with a minority sexual orientation may be disproportionately impacted. This study examined the relationship between sexual orientation and HPV-related oral cancer knowledge. Data from 10,859 adult participants in the 2017-2019 Health Information National Trends Survey 5, cycles 1-3, were obtained.

Is oral rehydration therapy associated with early childhood caries in children resident in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria?

Background: Oral rehydration therapy may increase the risk of early childhood caries (ECC) because of reduced pH in the oral environment.

Aim: To investigate associations between the use of oral rehydration therapy and the prevalence and severity of ECC in children resident in the Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria.

Design: This observational study assessed the prevalence and severity of caries, using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II index.

Unexpected benefits of and lessons learned from shifting to virtual focus group discussions in the BEECON trial.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many human subjects research to halt in-person activities and pivot to virtual engagement, including Focus Groups (FGs). We highlight learnings from our experience of hosting virtual FGs from our BEhavioral EConomics for Oral health iNnovation (BEECON) study focusing on oral hygiene behaviors among low-income, predominantly Hispanic families, including practical tips and potential pitfalls to avoid for researchers considering virtual engagement.

Results: There can be particular benefits to holding virtual sessions among minority parents of young children-to provide flexibility, comfort, and reduced logistical barriers for participation-while still facilitating friendly conversation with minimal distractions.

Periodontal disease and incident prediabetes and diabetes: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Aim: To examine whether baseline periodontal disease is independently associated with incident prediabetes and incident diabetes in Hispanics/Latinos in the United States.

Materials And Methods: This study examined 7827 individuals, 18-74 years of age without diabetes, from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Participants received a full-mouth periodontal examination at baseline (2008-2011), and the disease was classified using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology case definitions.

Association between Participation in Counseling and Retention in a Buprenorphine-Assisted Treatment Program for People Experiencing Homelessness with Opioid Use Disorder.

The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis that disproportionately affects our unsheltered neighbors. Because medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is effective for preventing deaths from drug overdose and retention is associated with better health outcomes, there is a clear need for more research on factors impacting retention in care. This retrospective cohort analysis examines the relationship between attendance in counseling and retention on buprenorphine for three or more months for individuals experiencing homelessness being treated at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Public Health Service Act §330(h) Health Care for the Homeless Program grantee in San Diego County, California.

The Association Between Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage And Children's Oral Health.

Although all state Medicaid programs cover children's dental care, Medicaid-eligible children are more likely to experience tooth decay than children in higher-income families. Using data from the 1999-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2003, 2007, and 2011-12 waves of the National Survey of Children's Health, we examined the association between Medicaid adult dental coverage (an optional benefit) and children's oral health. Adult dental coverage was associated with a statistically significant 5-percentage-point reduction in the prevalence of untreated caries among children after Medicaid-enrolled adults had access to coverage for at least one year.

Epidemiological profile of early childhood caries in a sub-urban population in Nigeria.

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and severity of early childhood caries (ECC) in children 6-71-months; identify the teeth most at risk for ECC; and identify risk indicators associated with significant caries index (SiC) score in different age groups.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that collected data (using a household survey) on the ECC risk indicators (frequency of tooth brushing, consumption of refined carbohydrate in-between-meals, daily use of fluoridated toothpaste, and dental service utilization in the 12 months) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. We computed the prevalence of ECC using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDASI (d)) index; caries severity using the ICDAS-2(d) and ICDAS-3(d) for non-cavitated and cavitated lesions respectively, decayed missing, filled teeth (dmft), and surfaces (dmfs) and SiC indices; and caries complications using the pulp (p), ulceration (u), fistula (f) and abscesses (a) (pufa) index, for children 6-11-months-old, 12-23-months-old, 23-35-months-old, 35-47-months-old; 48-59-months-old and 60-71-months-old.

Early childhood caries: Are maternal psychosocial factors, decision-making ability, and caries status risk indicators for children in a sub-urban Nigerian population?

Objective: Early childhood caries (ECC) is caries in children below the age of 72 months. The aim of the study was to determine the association of maternal psychosocial factors (general anxiety, dental anxiety, sense of coherence, parenting stress, fatalism, social support, depressive symptoms, and executive dysfunction), decision-making abilities, education, income and caries status with the prevalence and severity of ECC among children resident in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Methods: A dataset of 1549 mother-child (6-71-months-old) dyads collected through examinations and a household survey, using validated psychometric tools to measure the psychosocial factors, were analyzed.

Social support and dental caries experience: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study.

Objective: To examine the association of social support with dental caries experience in Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States (US) and to assess whether the relationship is modified by nativity status.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed data for 4459 dentate men and women aged 18-74 years in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study. At baseline (2008-2011), dentists quantified dental caries experience as the number of decayed, missing, and filled permanent tooth surfaces (DMFS) for all teeth excluding third molars.

Associations Between Nonclinical Services and Patient-Experience Outcomes in US Acute Care Hospitals.

Background: Patient experience is an important measure of hospital quality and performance. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, patient experiences with their care encounters are embedded into the framework of payment incentives. However, drivers of patient experience in the context of the supportive, nonclinical, services that relate to patient care have not been as well understood.

Validation of maternal report of early childhood caries status in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Background: To determine the validity of maternal reports of the presence of early childhood caries (ECC), and to identify maternal variables that increase the accuracy of the reports.

Methods: This secondary data analysis included 1155 mother-child dyads, recruited through a multi-stage sampling household approach in Ile-Ife Nigeria. Survey data included maternal characteristics (age, monthly income, decision-making ability) and maternal perception about whether or not her child (age 6 months to 5 years old) had ECC.

Family monetary incentives as a value-based care model for oral hygiene: rationale and design of the BEhavioral EConomics for Oral health iNnovation (BEECON) trial.

Background: Effective prevention-focused, value-based strategies are needed to improve oral health. Despite evidence that monetary incentives can motivate healthy behavior, well-powered studies have yet to examine incentives for improving children's oral hygiene.

Aim: Describe the rationale and design of the BEhavioral EConomics for Oral health iNnovation (BEECON) trial, which tests lottery-based monetary incentives as a consumer-oriented, value-based care model for improving children's oral hygiene.

Monetary incentives for improving smartphone-measured oral hygiene behaviors in young children: A randomized pilot trial.

Aims: To assess feasibility, acceptability, and early efficacy of monetary incentive-based interventions on fostering oral hygiene in young children measured with a Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush and smartphone application.

Design: A stratified, parallel-group, three-arm individually randomized controlled pilot trial.

Setting: Two Los Angeles area Early Head Start (EHS) sites.

Perceived dental care need and actual oral health status in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of subjective self-assessment of dental care need with objective oral disease status in a sample of Hispanics/Latinos.

Methods: Data from 13,561 participants of the 2008-2011 Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos were analyzed using complex survey procedure in SAS 9.4.

Association between maternal socioeconomic factors, decision-making status, and dental utilization by children with early childhood caries in sub-urban Nigeria.

Aim: To determine the association between maternal education, income, and decision-making status and the presence of early childhood caries (ECC) and dental-service utilization among young children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on data from a household survey of 1,549 mother-preschool-aged-child dyads conducted in Ife Central Local Government Area, Nigeria. The explanatory variables were maternal education, income, and decision-making status (related to healthcare, large household purchases, and visits to family/relatives).

Malnutrition, enamel defects, and early childhood caries in preschool children in a sub-urban Nigeria population.

Objectives: The study tried to determine if malnutrition (underweight, stunting, wasting, overweight) and enamel defects (enamel hypoplasia, hypomineralized second molar, amelogenesis imperfecta, fluorosis) were associated with early childhood caries (ECC). The study also examined whether malnutrition was associated with the presence of enamel defects in 0-5-year-old children.

Methods: The study was a secondary analysis of primary data of a cross-sectional study assessing the association between maternal psychosocial health and ECC in sub-urban Nigerian population collected in December 2018 and January 2019.

A comprehensive assessment for community-based, person-centered care for older adults.

Background: Many health and social needs can be assessed and met in community settings, where lower-cost, person-centered, preventative and proactive services predominate. This study reports on the development and implementation of a person-centered care model integrating dental, social, and health services for low-income older adults at a community dental clinic co-located within a senior wellness center.

Methods: A digital comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and referral system linking medical, dental, and psychosocial needs by real-time CGA-derived metrics for 996 older adults (age ≥ 60) was implemented in 2016-2018 as part of a continuous quality improvement project.

Longitudinal analysis of cost and dental utilization patterns for older adults in outpatient and long-term care settings in Minnesota.

Background: Dental utilization patterns and costs of providing comprehensive oral healthcare for older adults in different settings have not been examined.

Methods: Retrospective longitudinal cohort data from Apple Tree Dental (ATD) were analyzed (N = 1,159 total; 503 outpatients, 656 long-term care residents) to describe oral health status at presentation, service utilization patterns, and care costs. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) repeated measures analysis identified significant contributors to service cost over the three-year study period.