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Acculturation and Dental Care-Related Anxiety: An Exploratory Assessment from the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos

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Abstract

This study aimed to determine the associations between acculturation, dental anxiety, and dental utilization among Hispanics/Latinos living in the US. A proxy measure of dental anxiety was available for 7539 adults who had not visited a dentist within the last year. All completed the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH). Bivariate logistic regression and adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis were conducted. Approximately 22% of the sample was dentally anxious. Dental anxiety was significantly associated with SASH language scale score (OR 1.09, 95%CI 1.02, 1.18, p = 0.04), years in US (OR 1.53, 95%CI 1.23, 1.91, p < 0.0001), and preferred Spanish language (OR 1.30, 95%CI 1.05, 1.63, p = 0.0192); lower acculturation corresponded to higher dental anxiety. Adjusting for sex, age, education, income, insurance, and oral health status, level of acculturation was associated with dental anxiety (AOR 0.87, 95%CI 0.75, 0.91, p = 0.009), but neither were associated with utilization. Acculturation may be an important predictor of dental anxiety for Hispanics/Latinos living in the US.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the staff and participants of HCHS/SOL for their important contributions. The HCHS/SOL was carried out as a collaborative study supported by contracts from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to the University of North Carolina (N01-HC65233), University of Miami (N01-HC65234), Albert Einstein College of Medicine (N01-HC65235), Northwestern University (N01-HC65236), and San Diego State University (N01-HC65237). The following institutes contribute to the HCHS/SOL through a transfer of funds to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements. Preparation of this manuscript was supported, in part, by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (K23DE028906).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Dentistry and Population Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13056 E 7th Ave., Mail Stop F843, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA

    T. Tiwari, N. Rai & C. Carey

  2. Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Dentistry, 1959 NE Pacific St, Box 357475, Seattle, WA, 98195-7475, USA

    C. L. Randall

  3. Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    J. R. Shaffer

  4. Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    J. R. Shaffer

  5. School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    T. L. Finlayson

  6. Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    L. M. Kaste

  7. Department of Dentistry, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA

    N. Laniado

  8. Department of Oral Science and Translational Research, College of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

    R. Singer

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  1. T. Tiwari
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Contributions

TT and CLR contributed to the conception, data analysis and interpretation, and drafting and critical revision of the manuscript; they contributed equally and are co-first authors. NR contributed to the data analysis and interpretation and drafting and critical revision of the manuscript. CC, JRS, TLF, LMK, NL, and RS contributed to the data interpretation and critical revision of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to T. Tiwari or C. L. Randall.

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Tamanna Tiwari and Cameron L. Randall are co-first authors.

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Tiwari, T., Randall, C.L., Rai, N. et al. Acculturation and Dental Care-Related Anxiety: An Exploratory Assessment from the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos. J Immigrant Minority Health 25, 616–623 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-022-01414-9

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