Oral Health Literacy in Migrant and Ethnic Minority Populations: A Systematic Review.

Cultural background influences how migrants and ethnic minority populations view and assess health. Poor oral health literacy (OHL) may be a hindrance in achieving good oral health. This systematic review summarizes the current quantitative evidence regarding OHL of migrants and ethnic minority populations. The PubMed database was searched for original quantitative studies that explore OHL as a holistic multidimensional construct or at least one of its subdimensions in migrants and ethnic minority populations. 34 publications were selected. Only 2 studies specifically addressed OHL in migrant populations. Generally, participants without migration background had higher OHL than migrant and ethnic minority populations. The latter showed lower dental service utilization, negative oral health beliefs, negative oral health behavior, and low levels of oral health knowledge. Due to its potential influence on OHL, oral health promoting behavior, attitudes, capabilities, and beliefs as well as the cultural and ethnic background of persons should be considered in medical education and oral health prevention programs.

The willingness to participate in health research studies of individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds: barriers and resources.

BACKGROUND: Lower participation rates of ethnic minorities in health research studies and potential participation barriers are commonly reported. METHODS: Four semi-structured focus groups of individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds living in Germany were conducted to identify potential participation barriers. Documented statements and superscripted presentation cards by the participants were evaluated with a qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The following eight potential reasons for the lower participation rates were identified: role of women, lack of knowledge, lack of interest, German-Turkish interactions, mistrust, anxiety, data privacy protection and benefits of the study. Additionally, the following recruitment strategies to enhance participation rates were found: public relations, especially word-of-mouth promotion and contacting Turkish key figures, (non-) tangible incentives and trust building through transparent communication of the project and its conditions. DISCUSSION: The findings provide a wide range of potential participation barriers and implications that should be considered to enhance the participation rates of minority populations. CONCLUSION: The willingness to participate in health research studies can be increased through particular efforts, which should be tailored to the recruitment of the underrepresented target population.