Abstract

GONZALEZ MARTINEZ, Farith; HERNANDEZ SARAVIA, Laura  and  CORREA MULETT, Karina. Social representations on oral hygiene in mothers and caregivers at child care centers. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2013, vol.39, n.1, pp. 59-68. ISSN 0864-3466.

Introduction: The design of qualitative research involving the perceptions of the population is necessary in order to recognize new conceptual and methodological horizons in oral health. Objectives: To describe the social representations on oral hygiene in mothers and caregivers at child care centers. Methods: Qualitative approach research using as method the theories based on 15 mothers and 23 caregivers of child care centers of the Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar of Cartagena, Colombia during the 2010. Individual semi structured focal group and non participatory observation interviews were made. The data was analyzed with open codification and it was grouped into axial and nuclear categories in order to advance and delve into conceptualizations. During the process there was constant comparison with the theory. Results: The caregivers regarded the mothers as the responsible for the children's oral health, although they can also be promoters of oral health education at the child care center. There was general fear to go to dentist's, which explained the little attendance to dental control visits. Conclusions: The representations of mothers and caregivers on oral hygiene are directed to the search of greater interaction between dentists and the community, allowing the implementation of more assertive working methodologies , and to the empowering of the parents and caregivers to exercise a continuous monitoring of theoral health of children, who in turn would have the same responsibility with their families in the future.

Keywords : oral hygiene; oral health; health education; mothers; caregivers; qualitative research.

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