Objectives. Several groups in Manitoba, Canada, experience early childhood caries (ECC), including Aboriginal, immigrant, and refugee children and those from select rural regions. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the views of parents and caregivers from four cultural groups on early childhood oral health and ECC. Methods. A qualitative descriptive study design using focus groups recruited parents and caregivers from four cultural groups. Discussions were documented, audio-recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed for content based on themes. Results. Parents and caregivers identified several potential barriers to good oral health practice, including child's temperament, finances, and inability to control sugar intake. Both religion and genetics were found to influence perceptions of oral health. Misconceptions regarding breastfeeding and bottle use were present. One-on-one discussions, parental networks, and using laypeople from similar backgrounds were suggested methods to promote oral health. The immigrant and refugee participants placed emphasis on the use of visuals for those with language barriers while Hutterite participants suggested a health-education approach. Conclusions. These pilot study findings provide initial insight into the oral health-related knowledge and beliefs of these groups. This will help to inform planning of ECC prevention and research strategies, which can be tailored to specific populations.

The majority of participants liked the FFV program and believed that it should continue. Parents would benefit from further education and encouragement to seek oral care for their child by age one. Some general dentists may need further training and skills to meet the recommendations for first dental visits.

I ndigenous people are incarcerated at a much higher rate in Canada than the general population. 1 It is well known that incarceration is a negative determinant of health. 2 For Indigenous Peoples, the legacy of colonialism and ongoing systemic racism, including in the Canadian justice system, 3 has both immediate and far-reaching negative health impacts, and contributes to health inequities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. The overincarceration of Indigenous people leads to an inequitable distribution of the health harms of incarceration, as well as an enormous burden of years of life lost attributable to incarceration for Indigenous Peoples.Indigenous men lose 4-6 times more years of life to incarceration than non-Indigenous men, and Indigenous women lose 6-9 times more years of life than non-Indigenous women, across both the federal penitentiary and British Columbia provincial jail systems. 1 However, Indigenous people in some provinces and territories likely have a much higher ratio of life lost to incarceration compared with non-Indigenous Canadians than those reported above. For example, in Manitoba, Indigenous adults are incarcerated 18 times more often than non-Indigenous adults, compared with a rate ratio of 4.5 in British Columbia, which suggests the ratio of years of life lost to incarceration in Manitoba is higher, perhaps much higher, than in British Columbia. 1 This should not be viewed as fair punishment, as many rigorous reports over decades have shown that the inequitable incarceration rates are a result of the effects of colonialism and systemic racism. 3,4 To illustrate the effect of this social determinant, it is helpful to compare years of life lost to incarceration with years of life lost to premature death from common diseases. Although being incarcerated is not the same as dying prematurely, liberty is of such fundamental importance that it is protected by section 7 of the Canad ian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in the same section as life and security of person. Indigenous men lose years of life to incarceration at a rate of 76 times years of life lost to cancer for First Nations men; 53 times years of life lost to heart disease and stroke; and 9 times years of life lost to injuries. 5 Indigenous women spend less time incarcerated than Indigenous men, but they also lose many more years to incarceration than to common health conditions. Indigenous women lose years of life to incarceration at a rate of 8.5 times years of life lost to heart disease and stroke for First Nations women; 5 times years of life lost to cancer; and 1.6 times years of life lost to injuries in Canada. 5 Yet, even these estimates of years of life lost to incarceration do not account for the years of life lost resulting from health effects of incarceration.Incarceration has wide-ranging consequences for human health: from direct to indirect; from infections to death; and from individual-to family-and population-level effects.After individuals are released from incarceration, their risk of death is subst...