Get Gettin ting g to o Or Oral al He Heal alth h Eq Equit ity y in in the e Lat atin ino o Co Commun munit ity A Mat atter ter of of Hea ealt lth Ju Justic ice
La Latin ino Coal alit itio ion n fo for a He a Heal althy hy Cal alif iforni nia ○ Established in 1992 by advocates, consumers, educators, & health professionals ○ The only statewide organization with a specific emphasis on Latino health ○ LCHC’s primary mission is to develop & support policies, direct services & socio economic conditions to improve the health of Latinos ○ For more information on the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, please visit us at: www.lchc.org
Why is Or Oral Health h a M Matter r of Health h Justi tice? ce? Oral Disease is considered a silent epidemic, disproportionately affecting children, elderly adults, and communities of color. Source: Oral Health: The Silent Epidemic. Public Health Reports . [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://member.carefirst.com/carefirst-resources/broker-pdf/dental-oral-health-in-numbers-sum2737.pdf
Oral al He Heal alth h in in C CA: A: Chi hild ldren en Califo fornia ia Children ren ○ Over 50% 50% of children in California experience dental decay by kindergarten and 28% 28% of children have untreated decay ○ ~60% of 2 and 3 year olds in California have never been to the dentist 22.1% Source: Dental Health Foundation, The California Smile Survey, 2006
Oral al He Heal alth h in in C CA: A: Ad Adul ults Califo fornia ia Adults s ○ 33% 33% of adults aged 18 and older have not visited a dentist or dental clinic in the past year ○ 32% 32% of adults aged 65 and older have lost six or more teeth due 67.9% to tooth decay or gum disease Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
He Heal alth h Di Dispar arit itie ies A disproportionate burden or risk of death, disease, disability, and illness on a particular population or group Cavitie ies in Baby Teeth th by Age and Race ce Source: CDC/NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2012 [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://familiesusa.org/product/latino-health-disparities-compared-non-hispanic-whites
Di Dispropor orti tiona onate Or te Oral al He Heal alth h Out utco comes mes ○ Adults and children of color have higher risk of dental health issues. ○ Latino’s have the highest rate of untreated tooth decay and the lowest level of dental visits of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States Source: CDC/NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009 – 2010.
Us Use of e of De Dent ntal al Ser Servic ices es Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), AHRQ.
Rea easons ns fo for No Not Vis Visit itin ing g the he De Dent ntis ist in in CA CA Source: The Oral health Care System: A State-Level Analysis by the ADA Health Policy Institute [Photograph]. Retrieved from : file:///C:/Users/Rebecca/Documents/California-Oral-Health-Care-System.pdf
LC LCHC HC & O & Oral al Hea ealt lth 2 h 2020 ○ 2015: LCHC joined the Oral Health 2020 Network ○ Partners from CA joined the network to conduct community landscape assessments on oral health to identify barriers and increase oral health in dialogue and public policy ○ Partner Organizations: ○ California Pan Ethnic Health Network ○ Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) ○ Vision y Compromiso ○ Central Valley Health Policy Institute ○ Asian Americans Advancing Justice -LA
Oral al He Heal alth h 20 2020 20 Ne Netwo work k Goal als ○ Goal 1 Eradicate dental disease in children. ○ With the closing of disparity gaps, 85% of children reach age 5 without a cavity ○ Goal 2 Incorporate oral health into the primary education system. ○ The 10 largest school districts have incorporated oral health into their systems ○ Goal 3 Include an adult dental benefit in publicly funded health coverage. ○ At least 30 states have an extensive Medicaid adult dental benefit. ○ Medicare includes an extensive dental benefit.
Oral al He Heal alth h 20 2020 20 Goal als ○ Goal 4 Build a comprehensive national oral health measurement system ○ A national and state-based oral health measurement system is in place ○ Goal 5 Integrate oral health into person-centered healthcare. ○ Oral health is integrating into at least 50% of emerging person-centered care models. ○ Goal 6 Improve the public perception of the value of oral health to overall health. ○ Oral health is increasingly included in health dialogue and public policy.
In the past year, LCHC has… 1. Increased the public’s awareness of the value of oral health 2. Collected information about community members’ perception of the opportunities and barriers to good oral health 3. Trained a cadre of promotores to deliver presentations designed to raise consciousness about oral health, disparities in oral health, and also to help identify policy opportunities that can reduce oral health disparities in the Latino community.
Incr In creas asing ing Awa wareness eness about ut the Im Impo portan tance ce of Or Oral Health th to Well-bei Well being ng in the La Latino o Co Community mmunity ○ LCHC touches nine different regions of California. ○ Through trainings, communications via email, social media, and community health fairs and events, LCHC has introduced and kept elevated the importance of oral health and the disparities among the Latino community.
Sur urvey eyin ing g Comm mmun unit ity y Me Memb mber ers ○ Goal: to collect information about the community’s perception of the opportunities and barriers to good oral health. ○ LCHC lead trainings, activities, and conducted survey questions, to learn: 1. Who do folks turn to for oral health care 2. Who they turn to when dealing with a social justice/civil rights issue 3. To identify the upstream areas where there is most opportunity for change
Tr Trai aini ning ng the he LCH LCHC Ne Netwo work ○ 45 promotores were trained from the L.A. ,Inland Empire, and Central Valley. ○ Promotores delivered 160 presentations to at least 2,400 participants. ○ Conducted 2 Northern CA trainings of 20 people and are collecting and analyzing data from these presentations.
Sur urvey eys & E & Eval alua uatio ions ns ○ Statewide surveys & evaluations of 885 individuals (not including northern CA numbers) of Latino origin with ties to various Latin American countries including: Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Peru. ○ All respondents resided in the state of CA during the time the survey was conducted. ○ Education and Employment: Landscaper, farmworker, construction, housekeeper, waiter/waitress, unemployed, and student. ○ 26.5% of respondents were students
Key y Findin ings gs
Oral al He Heal alth h Kn Knowl wled edge ge & Be & Beha havio ior ○ In general, community members know where to go to get oral health care but still have access challenges or are not aware that they are eligible for coverage. ○ Having insurance coverage does not guarantee service. ○ It’s hard to find dentists that take patients on public assistance. ○ Transportation and time away from work continue to be a challenge ○ Costs of oral health are outweighed by other more immediate demands like paying rent. ○ Increasing oral health goes beyond individual awareness and knowledge.
See eeki king ng Ca Care ou e out of S f Sys ystem em There was no stigma attached to visiting clandestine clinics — it seems that these are primarily a source of preventative care such as for cleanings and sealing.
Cul ultur ural al & Li & Ling ngui uistic ic Ba Barrie iers ○ Some patients with dental plans in the U.S. choose to go across the border to Mexico as they feel “more comfortable” in that setting. ○ A few patients felt that because many of them rely on public support for dental care that they are treated differently from other patients who may have full insurance. ○ “La clinica ” seems to be the most comfortable place to access dental care , the services are good and people are all treated the same, but it is hard to get appointments due to the demand. ○ Immigration status also has an impact in trust and willingness of patients to seek care.
Tr Trus usted ed Orga gani nizat ation ions s fo for Ci Civil il Rig ight hts in in th the e La Latin ino Comm mmun unit ity y ○ Churches ○ Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) ○ League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) ○ Vision y Compromiso ○ LCHC
Sout uthe hern n CA Tr A Trai aini ning ng
No Northe hern n CA Tr A Trai aini ning ng
Tha hank nk yo you! u!
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