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The implementation of such a community participatory approach was feasible and useful for building upon existing local resources and addressing oral health concerns in a community not reached by traditional dental care and health promotion initiatives. Individuals in this community showed a substantial interest in oral health matters and participated in a variety of oral health prevention activities. The community approach adhered to community-based research principles.

Objectives To introduce a multi-site assessment of oral health literacy and to describe preliminary analyses of the relationships between health literacy and selected oral health outcomes within the context of a comprehensive conceptual model. Methods Data for this analysis came from the Multi-Site Oral Health Literacy Research Study (MOHLRS), a federally-funded investigation of health literacy and oral health. MOHLRS consisted of a broad survey, including several health literacy assessments, and measures of attitudes, knowledge, and other factors. The survey was administered to 922 initial care-seeking adult patients presenting to university-based dental clinics in California and Maryland. For this descriptive analysis, confidence filling out forms, word recognition, and reading comprehension comprised the health literacy assessments. Dental visits, oral health functioning, and dental self-efficacy were the outcomes. Results Overall, up to 21% of participants reported having difficulties with practical health literacy tasks. After controlling for sociodemographic confounders, no health literacy assessment was associated with dental visits or dental caries self-efficacy. However, confidence filling out forms and word recognition were each associated with oral health functioning and periodontal disease self-efficacy. Conclusions Our analysis showed that dental school patients exhibit a range of health literacy abilities. It also revealed that the relationship between health literacy and oral health is not straightforward, depending on patient characteristics and the unique circumstances of the encounter. We anticipate future analyses of MOHLRS data will answer questions about the role that health literacy and various mediating factors play in explaining oral health disparities.

US Latinos are less likely to utilize mental health services than non-Latino Whites, and to take antidepressant medication. This mixed-method study followed a subset (N=28) of a research sample of depressed Latino immigrant primary care patients with a telephone interview to study their knowledge about and experiences with antidepressant medications. Most (82%) reported taking medication for two months or more, and 75% reported feeling better, while over half reported side effects. Most (61%) agreed that antidepressants are generally safe, and helpful in treating depression (68%); however, many believed they could be addictive (39%). Fifty percent of patients who discontinued their medication did not inform their providers. Twelve of the 28 patients also participated in focus groups about interactions with providers and made suggestions for conveying information about antidepressants. Patients suggested videos as a format to disseminate medication information since they do not require written comprehension. Other patient recommendations are presented.

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