Early Childhood Oral Health Initiative for Rural Families

Early childhood dental caries represents the most common, and possibly the most commonly overlooked, chronic childhood disease in the United States. National health leaders recognize that families with young children living in rural communities face significantly more barriers to sustaining positive oral health than the general population. Low-income families in rural communities experience even greater challenges in regularly accessing health care for young children?whose health problems, as research has shown, will generally escalate as they age. Therefore, a key health strategy in early childhood in rural communities must include prevention. The proposed research will demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative approach to health prevention through family education in rural communities, combining groundbreaking science in early childhood development with advanced video technology designed specifically for rural families with young children. Webfish Pacific will: 1) create a sample of ?enhanced family-centered video education tools? related to oral health in early childhood; 2) conduct focus groups for evaluating this tool and comparing it to other tools available; 3) analyze evaluation results; while, 4) conducting necessary research for Phase II proposal. We are committed to contributing to building economic capacity among rural communities nationally and achieving healthier outcomes among low-income families with young children living in rural communities across the country. The proposed research will determine success and feasibility related to advanced, family-centered video technology delivering community education for families with young children living in rural communities.