Parents’ online discussions about children’s dental caries: A critical content analysis
| Autor: | Cynthia Weijs, Rebecca J. Haines-Saah, Lindsay McLaren, Avery Milne |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Parents medicine.medical_specialty Context (language use) Dental Caries 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Humans Medicine Social media 030212 general & internal medicine Child Dental Care for Children Internet Medical education 030505 public health Consumer Health Information business.industry Communication Public health Perspective (graphical) Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Professional-Patient Relations General Medicine stomatognathic diseases Content analysis Female The Internet Quantitative Research 0305 other medical science business Attitude to Health Dental public health |
| Zdroj: | Canadian Journal of Public Health. 108:e265-e272 |
| ISSN: | 1920-7476 0008-4263 |
| DOI: | 10.17269/cjph.108.5944 |
| Popis: | OBJECTIVES: Through an analysis of postings to an online parenting forum, we aimed to explore the many ways in which parents orient to (i.e., take up, challenge, re-articulate) information about child dental health in the context of their online interactions. Our analysis is anchored in Nettleton’s theoretical work on dental authority and power, which we apply in a digital context. METHODS: We examined discussion threads from the public online forums on BabyCenter Canada. We identified relevant threads using the site search function and keywords related to dental health, with a focus on dental caries (tooth decay), related care behaviours (e.g., toothbrushing), and the controversial issue of fluoride. Following descriptive content coding, we applied a critical lens to unpack themes related to expert knowledge, gender and parenting online cultures. RESULTS: We analyzed 479 relevant threads. Our findings focus on two central themes: the tension between parents’ views and those of dental health professionals; and, the gendered, cultural roles and expectations that position mothers as primarily responsible for the care of children’s dental health. Though these themes are not new, our findings show that they persist in the digital context where social divisions (e.g., expert/non-expert) may be blurred. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of online discussions provides an opportunity to think critically about ways in which parents engage with public health, in digital contexts. Although some mothers express disconnect when communicating with dental professionals, they are very engaged and concerned with dental health issues for their children. A challenge for dental public health is to find ways to shift perspective towards recognizing that the target population is empowered and already engaged in discussions of research evidence and clinical encounters on their own terms, facilitated by an online context. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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