Perceptions of Oral Illness Among Chinese Immigrants in Montreal: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in recent years. Being culturally competent means taking into account the culture of patients in order to provide high-quality services. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to better understand how oral illness was perceived by the largest visible minority group in Canada: Chinese immigrants. We conducted qualitative research based on in-depth interviews with twelve Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada. The participants had a high level of education and had lived in Canada for thirteen years or less. The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analyses were then performed. Among the participants, traditional beliefs coexisted with scientific dental knowledge. On the one hand, the subjects had a fairly good understanding of dental caries in terms of etiology, process, prevention, and treatment. On the other hand, they held strong traditional beliefs concerning gingival swelling and bleeding, which had an influence on their attitudes toward dental care and professional services. Oral health care professionals should be informed about Chinese immigrants' oral health beliefs and the acculturation process in order to understand their patients better and provide culturally competent care.Dr. Dong is a graduate student,

Predictors of dental care utilization among working poor Canadians

“…Our findings concur with Bedos et al. (45), suggesting that cultural barriers may exist such as oral health perceptions and beliefs and attitudes towards dental professionals (46).…”

Associations Between Acculturation and Oral Health Among Older Chinese Immigrants in the United States

“…Also, due to a lack of oral health literacy and cultural believes, Chinese immigrants usually attribute gum symptoms to insufficient Vitamin C intake and “internal fire” (i.e., excessive internal body heat). Thus, they tended to rely on self-treatment such as taking Vitamin C supplements, drinking tea, and rinsing with salt water, but not seeking for timely professional help ( Dong et al, 2007 ). That being said, older Chinese immigrants lacked the awareness and motivation to promote gum health regardless of their income level.…”

“…Chinese immigrants who have lower level of acculturation are subjected to limited access to health care due to language and financial barriers as well as the unfamiliarity with the health care system in the United States ( Mao, Wu, & Chi, 2015 ; Mariño, Stuart, Wright, Minas, & Klimidis, 2001 ; Zhang et al, 2017 ). When oral health problems occur, Chinese older immigrants tend to apply traditional remedies such as drinking tea and taking Vitamine C instead of seeking treatment from dental care professionals ( Dong, Loignon, Levine, & Bedos, 2007 ). Moreover, some older Chinese immigrants, especially those recently emigrated to the United States, may delay needed dental visits until they travel back to China due to fianancial concerns and ignorance of oral health symptoms ( Dong et al, 2011 ).…”

What Frames of Reference Underlie Self‐Ratings of Oral Health?*

“…Although there have been a number of qualitative studies of perceptions of oral health (17‐19), studies of the frames of reference used in self‐ratings of oral health have not been undertaken. Studies are needed to address questions similar to those posed by investigations of self‐rated general health: What frames of reference underlie self‐ratings of oral health?…”