Water consumption beliefs and practices in a rural Latino community: implications for fluoridation

摘要: Objective: Adequate fluoride exposure is especially important for those experiencing disproportionately high prevalence of dental caries, such as rural Latino farmworkers and their children. Water an source fluoride. This qualitative study examined water consumption beliefs practices among parents young children in a community. Methods: Focus groups open-ended in-depth interviews explored parents' about tap water, beverage preferences, knowledge A questionnaire documented socio-demographic characteristics practices. Qualitative analysis revealed how water-related beliefs, social cultural context, local environment shaped participants' consumption. Results: The vast majority participants (n = 46) avoided drinking unfiltered based on perceptions that it had poor taste, smell, color, bolstered by historically justified collectively transmitted belief the public supply unsafe. quality reports are not accessible to many community residents, all whom use commercially bottled or filtered domestic consumption. Most little beyond general sense was beneficial. While most expressed willingness drink fluoridated emphatically stated they would do so only if tasted, looked, smelled better demonstrated be safe. Conclusions: Perceptions safety have implications adequate exposure. For vulnerable populations, technical believed trusted but matched superseded experience before meaningful change will occur people's habits.