Health Literacy, Acculturation, and the Use of Preventive Oral Health Care by Somali Refugees Living in Massachusetts

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 622 - 630
• Main Authors: Geltman, Paul L., Adams, Jo Hunter, Penrose, Katherine L., Cochran, Jennifer, Rybin, Denis, Doros, Gheorghe, Henshaw, Michelle, Paasche-Orlow, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer Science + Business Media 01.08.2014; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adult; Behavioral decision theory; Comparative Law; Cross-Sectional Studies; Decision making; Dental care; Dental Care - utilization; Dental health; Dentistry; Female; Gender; Health care; Health Conditions; Health education; Health Literacy; Health services; Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Immigrants; International & Foreign Law; Interviews; Interviews as Topic; Language; Language proficiency; Language Skills; Male; Massachusetts; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minority & ethnic groups; Noncitizens; Oral diseases; Oral hygiene; ORIGINAL PAPER; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Preventive health care; Preventive Health Services - utilization; Preventive medicine; Private International Law; Proficiency; Public Health; Refugees; Sociology; Somalia - ethnology; Statistical analysis; Somalia; Massachusetts; United States > US; Health literacy; Preventive dental care; Acculturation; Refugees
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-013-9846-0

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.