Kwan S Y, Williams S A
Oral Health & Ethnicity Unit, Leeds Dental Institute, University of Leeds.
Br Dent J. 1998 Aug 22;185(4):188-91. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.4809768.
To explore the attitudes of Chinese people regarding dentists and toward obtaining dental care in the UK.
Injudicious use of general health services has been reported among Chinese people in the UK. In relation to oral healthcare, the extent to which cultural beliefs and values affect use remains uncertain.
Chinese communities in the north east of England.
A quota sample of 156 Chinese people was recruited in 1996. 50 elderly people, 56 adults, 50 teenagers were interviewed by 5 trained and standardised multilingual Chinese interviewers using a validated structured questionnaire.
Access varied substantially according to age, with the younger generations more likely to obtain dental care without difficulty. Overall, the sample perceived that dentists possessed adequate technical competence, but their patient management skills lacked sensitivity. Older Chinese people placed less trust in dentists. Many elderly people reported problems in finding a UK dentist and would have preferred one of Chinese origin. Potential problems in follow-up prosthetic dental care were also apparent among this age group. Cost, communication problems, anxiety and cultural beliefs were identified as major barriers to dental care.
There is a clear need to raise cultural awareness among dental professionals as well as to help Chinese people's positive attitudes toward dentists and dental care.
探讨中国人对英国牙医及获取牙科护理的态度。
据报道，在英国的中国人中存在对一般医疗服务的不当使用情况。在口腔医疗保健方面，文化信仰和价值观对其使用的影响程度尚不确定。
英格兰东北部的华人社区。
1996年招募了156名中国人作为配额样本。由5名经过培训且标准化的多语言中文访谈员使用经过验证的结构化问卷，对50名老年人、56名成年人、50名青少年进行了访谈。
获取牙科护理的情况因年龄差异很大，年轻一代更有可能顺利获得牙科护理。总体而言，样本认为牙医具备足够的技术能力，但他们在患者管理技能方面缺乏敏感度。年长的中国人对牙医的信任度较低。许多老年人表示在寻找英国牙医时遇到问题，并且更倾向于找华裔牙医。在这个年龄组中，后续假牙护理方面的潜在问题也很明显。成本、沟通问题、焦虑和文化信仰被认为是牙科护理的主要障碍。
显然有必要提高牙科专业人员的文化意识，并帮助中国人对牙医和牙科护理形成积极态度。
