Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 16, Issue 4, 2014, Pages 622-630

Health literacy, acculturation, and the use of preventive oral health care by Somali refugees living in Massachusetts (Article)

Geltman P.L.* , Hunter Adams J. , Penrose K.L. , Cochran J. , Rybin D. , Doros G. , Henshaw M. , Paasche-Orlow M.
  • a Refugee and Immigrant Health Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 305 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, United States
  • b Refugee and Immigrant Health Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 305 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, United States
  • c Refugee and Immigrant Health Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 305 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, United States
  • d Refugee and Immigrant Health Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 305 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, United States
  • e Department of Biostatistics, Boston University, School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, United States
  • f Department of Biostatistics, Boston University, School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, United States
  • g Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 560 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, United States
  • h Division of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, United States

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of English health literacy and spoken proficiency and acculturation on preventive dental care use among Somali refugees in Massachusetts. 439 adult Somalis in the US ≤10 years were interviewed. English functional health literacy, dental word recognition, and spoken proficiency were measured using STOFHLA, REALD, and BEST Plus. Logistic regression tested associations of language measures with preventive dental care use. Without controlling for acculturation, participants with higher health literacy were 2.0 times more likely to have had preventive care (P = 0.02). Subjects with higher word recognition were 1.8 times as likely to have had preventive care (P = 0.04). Controlling for acculturation, these were no longer significant, and spoken proficiency was not associated with increased preventive care use. English health literacy and spoken proficiency were not associated with preventive dental care. Other factors, like acculturation, were more predictive of care use than language skills. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

Preventive dental care Refugees Health literacy Acculturation

Index Keywords

refugee Massachusetts Preventive Health Services human Refugees statistics and numerical data ethnology dental procedure Cross-Sectional Studies interview Dental Care cross-sectional study Humans Interviews as Topic male Acculturation female preventive health service cultural factor adult Somalia utilization patient attitude Patient Acceptance of Health Care health literacy Health Services Accessibility health care delivery
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84904389083&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-013-9846-0&partnerID=40&md5=4edc29f8234a0cad972ed90f448c6bac
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-013-9846-0
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 13
Original Language: English