Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in Ontario

Background. Canada has been hosting Syrian refugees since early 2015. Almost half of the Syrian refugee population lives in Ontario, with dental health being at the top of the list of important immediate needs. The objective of the study was to evaluate self-rated oral health and its associated fact...

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Main Authors: Aseel Alzaghoul, Parmin Rahimpoor-Marnani, Khalid Yunis, Akm Alamgir, Baraa Alghalyini, Hala Tamim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-01-01
Series:International Journal of Dentistry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/4136520
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author Aseel Alzaghoul
Parmin Rahimpoor-Marnani
Khalid Yunis
Akm Alamgir
Baraa Alghalyini
Hala Tamim
author_facet Aseel Alzaghoul
Parmin Rahimpoor-Marnani
Khalid Yunis
Akm Alamgir
Baraa Alghalyini
Hala Tamim
author_sort Aseel Alzaghoul
collection DOAJ
description Background. Canada has been hosting Syrian refugees since early 2015. Almost half of the Syrian refugee population lives in Ontario, with dental health being at the top of the list of important immediate needs. The objective of the study was to evaluate self-rated oral health and its associated factors among Syrian refugee parents residing in Ontario. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study where 540 Syrian refugee parents, residing in Ontario and with at least one child less than 18 years of age, were interviewed. Information about self-rated oral health was collected based on the question “In general, how would you rate the health of your teeth and mouth?” with answers ranging from 1 representing “excellent” and 5 representing “very poor.” Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the independent relationship between each of the sociodemographic-, migration-, health-, dental-related factors, and self-rated oral health. Results. The overall prevalence of poor and very poor self-rated oral health was 43.5%. The results showed that the presence of dental health insurance, private sponsorship, improved physical and mental health, and regular visits to the dentist were factors related to improved oral health. Discussion. To achieve better oral health outcomes among refugee populations, including Syrian refugees, efforts should be focused on improving dental care and dental insurance for vulnerable populations.
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series International Journal of Dentistry
spelling doaj-art-ee9bca6754874c999b1c74a5793a95a62025-02-03T06:45:12ZengWileyInternational Journal of Dentistry1687-87362023-01-01202310.1155/2023/4136520Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in OntarioAseel Alzaghoul0Parmin Rahimpoor-Marnani1Khalid Yunis2Akm Alamgir3Baraa Alghalyini4Hala Tamim5Division of Social and Transcultural PsychiatryFaculty of HealthDepartment of Pediatrics and Adolescent MedicineAccess Alliance Multicultural Health and Community ServicesFamily MedicineSchool of Kinesiology and Health ScienceBackground. Canada has been hosting Syrian refugees since early 2015. Almost half of the Syrian refugee population lives in Ontario, with dental health being at the top of the list of important immediate needs. The objective of the study was to evaluate self-rated oral health and its associated factors among Syrian refugee parents residing in Ontario. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study where 540 Syrian refugee parents, residing in Ontario and with at least one child less than 18 years of age, were interviewed. Information about self-rated oral health was collected based on the question “In general, how would you rate the health of your teeth and mouth?” with answers ranging from 1 representing “excellent” and 5 representing “very poor.” Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the independent relationship between each of the sociodemographic-, migration-, health-, dental-related factors, and self-rated oral health. Results. The overall prevalence of poor and very poor self-rated oral health was 43.5%. The results showed that the presence of dental health insurance, private sponsorship, improved physical and mental health, and regular visits to the dentist were factors related to improved oral health. Discussion. To achieve better oral health outcomes among refugee populations, including Syrian refugees, efforts should be focused on improving dental care and dental insurance for vulnerable populations.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/4136520
spellingShingle Aseel Alzaghoul
Parmin Rahimpoor-Marnani
Khalid Yunis
Akm Alamgir
Baraa Alghalyini
Hala Tamim
Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in Ontario
International Journal of Dentistry
title Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in Ontario
title_full Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in Ontario
title_fullStr Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in Ontario
title_full_unstemmed Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in Ontario
title_short Characteristics of Self-Rated Oral Health among Syrian Refugee Parents in Ontario
title_sort characteristics of self rated oral health among syrian refugee parents in ontario
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/4136520
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