Abstract
Objectives To explore how acculturation influences preventive dental care-seeking behavior for children among Filipino newcomers.
Methods We conducted a qualitative focused ethnographic research using semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Participants were a purposive sample of English-speaking, self-identified members of Filipino community in Edmonton who had lived in Canada for less than 10 years and had children aged 2-6 years. Concurrent thematic analysis was used.
Results Six interviews and two focus groups were conducted with 18 participants. Three main themes identified from our inductive analysis wereemergency pain-driven concept for children's dental visit before migration,migration challenges and low priority for preventive dental visits, andacculturation and new perceptions of preventive dental care utilization. Long-term socioeconomic deprivation in home country, challenges for survival in host country, and dental care-seeking behaviors influenced by acculturation process were psychosocially conceptualized within the three identified themes.
Discussion Exposure to the new culture of dental care in Canada caused a shift from an aggressive treatment-oriented to a more conservative preventive-oriented approach among Filipino immigrants in our study.