Saluja Priyanka, Bohlouli Babak, Hoglund Wendy, Amin Maryam
Department of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 3;20(1):e0313393. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313393. eCollection 2025.
Unmet oral health needs remain a significant issue among immigrant adolescents, often exacerbated by experiences of racial discrimination. This study aimed to examine the associations between perceived discrimination and oral health behaviours in adolescents with immigrant backgrounds and explore the potential moderating role of resilience on this association.
Ethical approval for this cross-sectional study was obtained from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board. Participants were 12 to 18-year-old adolescents from immigrant backgrounds. Participants were recruited through nine community organizations using a snowball sampling technique. After obtaining active parental consent and assent from the adolescent, the participants completed a questionnaire covering demographics, oral health behaviours, and perceived racial discrimination and resilience. Perceived racial discrimination and resilience were measured using validated scales. Descriptive statistics summarized variables. Logistic regression assessed associations, controlling for confounding factors. Resilience's moderating impact was analyzed via the interaction model of regression analysis.
In this cross-sectional study of 316 participants, average age of 15.3 (SD = 1.9) years, and a median age of 15 years (Inter Quartile Range-12-18), 76% reported discrimination experiences. Adjusted analysis showed that an increase of one unit in the total discrimination distress score was associated with 51% less likelihood of categorizing self-rated oral health as good (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.29-0.81). The odds of brushing teeth more than twice a day, as opposed to once a day, decreased by 58% with one unit increase in the total discrimination distress score (OR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.25-0.71). The odds of visiting the dentist for an urgent procedure instead of a regular check-up were 2.3 times higher with a unit increase in the total discrimination distress score (OR = 2.3: 95% CI:1.3-4.0) Resilience did not moderate the observed association.
Perceived racial discrimination was associated with the pattern for dental attendance, tooth brushing frequency, and self-rated oral health. Resilience did not moderate the observed association.
未满足的口腔健康需求在移民青少年中仍然是一个重大问题，种族歧视经历往往会加剧这一问题。本研究旨在探讨移民背景青少年中感知到的歧视与口腔健康行为之间的关联，并探讨复原力在这种关联中可能起到的调节作用。
本横断面研究获得了阿尔伯塔大学研究伦理委员会的伦理批准。参与者为12至18岁的移民背景青少年。通过九个社区组织采用滚雪球抽样技术招募参与者。在获得家长的有效同意和青少年的同意后，参与者完成了一份问卷，内容涵盖人口统计学、口腔健康行为、感知到的种族歧视和复原力。使用经过验证的量表来测量感知到的种族歧视和复原力。描述性统计总结变量。逻辑回归评估关联，并控制混杂因素。通过回归分析的交互模型分析复原力的调节作用。
在这项对316名参与者的横断面研究中，平均年龄为15.3岁（标准差=1.9），中位年龄为15岁（四分位间距-12-18），76%的人报告有歧视经历。调整分析表明，总歧视困扰得分每增加一个单位，将自我评估的口腔健康归类为良好的可能性降低51%（比值比=0.49，95%置信区间：0.29-0.81）。总歧视困扰得分每增加一个单位，每天刷牙超过两次而非一次的几率降低58%（比值比=0.42，95%置信区间：0.25-0.71）。总歧视困扰得分每增加一个单位，因紧急情况而非定期检查去看牙医的几率高出2.3倍（比值比=2.3：95%置信区间：1.3-4.0）。复原力并未调节观察到的关联。
感知到的种族歧视与看牙医模式、刷牙频率和自我评估的口腔健康有关。复原力并未调节观察到的关联。
