Yarning about oral health: perceptions of urban Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

Abstract

Background: Many factors influence how a person experiences oral health and how such experiences may facilitate supportive oral health behaviours. Women in particular face different challenges due to their environment, responsibilities and physiological differences to men. Within Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are reported to have poorer oral health and are faced with additional barriers to supporting their oral health compared with non-Indigenous women. The objective of this paper is to report the experiences and perceptions of oral health from the perspective of urban, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Methods: The present data derive from a descriptive study that used yarning circles and face-to-face interviews with women who were mothers/carers of urban, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children. This was a qualitative study to investigate the impact of child oral health on families. Participants used the opportunity to share their own personal experiences of oral health as women, thus providing data for the present analyses. Information collected was transcribed and analysed thematically. Results: Twenty women shared their personal narratives on the topic of oral health which were reflective of different time points in their life: growing up, as an adult and as a mother/carer. Although women are trying to support their oral health across their life-course, they face a number of barriers, including a lack of information and the costs of accessing dental care. The teenage years and pregnancy were reported as important time periods for oral health support. Conclusions: To improve the oral health of Indigenous Australian women, policymakers must consider the barriers reported by women and critically review current oral health information and services. Current oral health services are financially out of reach for Indigenous Australian women and there is not sufficient or appropriate, oral information across the life-course.

“What are we doing to our babies’ teeth?” Barriers to establishing oral health practices for Indigenous children in South Australia

“…The results emphasise the multi-faceted circumstances in which Indigenous oral health exists for new mothers and their children – with identification of barriers across parental, structural, social and knowledge factors. Many findings from this project reinforce previously identified barriers to oral health for Indigenous communities including: availability of sugar [ 18 , 51 ], inaccessibility of oral health care [ 15 , 27 , 54 ], racism [ 27 , 52 , 55 ], poor parent oral health practices [ 53 , 56 , 57 ], lack of accessible transport [ 27 , 52 , 57 ], limited time and energy [ 50 ], competing health priorities [ 27 , 50 , 51 ], waiting times [ 27 , 52 ], financial limitations [ 27 , 50 – 52 , 55 , 58 ], school dental programs [ 50 , 52 ], limited oral health knowledge [ 27 , 53 , 54 ] and limited nutrition knowledge [ 51 , 52 ].…”

A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences and Perspectives of Australian Aboriginal Women on Oral Health during Pregnancy

“…Some women received little or inconsistent information about oral health during pregnancy, and had to turn to online sources of information which are often unreliable. The lack of information given to Aboriginal women about oral health and pregnancy has also been identified in another Australian study [13]. The findings from the present study demonstrate the need for antenatal care providers to discuss oral health, which is recommended in Australian pregnancy care guidelines [46].…”

“…Importantly, this study highlights several barriers many pregnant Aboriginal women face in managing oral health. These include barriers previously identified in other studies with Indigenous pregnant women across the globe, such as the need to prioritise time and money on family needs and other responsibilities over personal oral health needs [37], cost of private dental services [13,15], long waiting lists [15], and a lack of eligibility for subsidised public and Aboriginal communitycontrolled dental services [14,38]. The findings from this study, however, also report other barriers for Australian Aboriginal women during pregnancy, including a lack of information about subsidised public and Aboriginal community-controlled dental services, protocols around booking an appointment at public dental services, and concerns around confidentiality in close-knit communities.…”

“…Based on the findings from this study, a potential culturally safe model of oral healthcare would involve the delivery of oral health and pregnancy advice by an antenatal care provider that the client trusts, such as an AHW, alongside culturally appropriate oral health promotion resources. Unfortunately, this proposed model of care would be limited by barriers like cost of dental treatment, which has also been found to be a barrier in other studies involving Indigenous pregnant women around the world [13][14][15]. As discussed in an earlier study with AHWs [14] and seen in our findings, the cost of dental care can still be significant for women who are employed but have other financial commitments, even though they may have an awareness about the importance of good oral health care.…”

“…Mothers who adopt preventive dental behaviours are likely to teach these practices to their children, which can reduce the risk of ECC [12]. Despite the opportunity to improve this area of inequality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and children, a recent study found that among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with young children in one community, none of the women recalled receiving any education or information about oral health during pregnancy [13].…”