Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Please address correspondence to: Dr. Oral health disparities related to socioeconomic status have been well described in the U.
This article examines oral health among Somali refugees in Massachusetts. Eighty-three 83 participants were purposively selected for an in-depth, open-ended interview related to oral health. Older individuals associated use of the stick brush with the Islamic practice of cleansing before prayer. When unable to find stick brushes in the U. Parents expressed concern that their children had adopted U. Somali oral health practices have changed following arrival to the U.
By acknowledging the value of traditional practices, dentists may communicate the value of Western preventive and restorative dentistry, and recommend approaches to integrating the two. Immigrants often originate from populations with disease patterns different from those at their destination. Premigration experiences, such as differential risk exposures and health behaviors have been proposed to explain this effect. A key finding in the literature on immigrant health is that over time, immigrants approach the health risk profile of their host country, and in some cases have increased risk.
In the case of newly arrived refugees, this risk may be related to socioeconomic status, language, and cultural barriers. Exposure to almost all material, psychosocial, and behavioral risk factors related to poor health is influenced by socioeconomic status. This includes oral health; the burden of oral diseases and conditions is disproportionately borne by disadvantaged populations.
Given this juxtaposition of vulnerability related to such factors as socioeconomic status, language, history of trauma and resilience among refugees, this study was designed to advance understanding of Somali oral health and the factors influencing Somali oral health status. Somalis are one of largest refugee populations to have entered the U.
