G-2405-21776

Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, and home to one of the state’s three dental schools. The organization is a returning grantee of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and its most recent project focused on decreasing the prevalence of early childhood caries through national policy and payment structure changes. During its most recent grant period, BU co-designed a training program based on feedback from six focus groups with general dentists from community health centers and private practices to increase the number of general dentists serving pediatric populations and connect them to HeadStart and school programs.

This proposal falls within the Research & Data subprogram and seeks to respond to limited research on oral health among Latino/a/e adults, beyond epidemiology, through this two-pronged research effort. Investigators at Boston University will first explore the potential connection between immigrant-related and Medicaid dental policies affect Latino/a/e/ oral health outcomes by identifying state policies on these issue from 2010 to 2022 and using exploratory factor analysis to determine if any patterns exist between them. Following policy identification and coding, further analysis will be conducted to explore the associations between policy factors and patterns identified and oral health outcomes among Latino/a/e adults, based on data from the nationally representative Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The second study included within this proposal will explore how cultural identity influences oral health values among patients identifying as Latino/a/e. BU’s project team will assess the relationship between oral health values and cultural identity within this population. The organization will deploy and leverage data from a large-scale panel survey, known as the Philadelphia Economic Equity Project (PEEP), of urban adults to measure oral health values and cultural identity. PEEP data are collected through oversampling of addressed-based households. The project will also engage community members directly as the investigators explore the lived experiences and perceptions of oral health values of several Latino/a/e adults through semi-structured interviews and surveys. Using thematic analysis, the project team will identify patterns that characterize the relationship between oral health values and identity. Finally, findings from both the survey and interviews will be compared to more clearly determine any associations that may be pursued in the future for research. Participants

Research around cultural identity and its significance as an oral health influencer stands to serve as a gateway for similar research to be conducted by other patient communities throughout the country. The proposed research will provide a comprehensive policy database through detailed coding and exploratory factor analysis as well as increased understanding about how cultural identity influences oral health perceptions and behaviors. This project aims to advance research on oral health equity and proposes to do so in an innovative and responsive way. The funding requested for this project, $21,574, will support compensation for interview participants, transcription services (as interview may be conducted in Spanish), and stipends for two research assistants to support with data collection and analysis. This proposal represents less than 1% of the organization’s operating budget.