Healthy Smile, Happy Child: partnering with Manitoba First Nations and Metis communities for better early childhood oral health

Indigenous populations in Canada are disproportionately affected by early childhood caries. The Healthy Smile, Happy Child initiative utilizes a community development approach to encourage community uptake of evidence-based early childhood oral health promotion strategies. Sharing circles and focus...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples
Main Authors: Kyoon-Achan, Grace, Schroth, Robert, DeMaré, Daniella, Sturym, Melina, Sanguins, Julianne, Chartrand, Frances, Campbell, Rhonda, Edwards, Jeanette, Lavoie, Josée, Moffatt, Michael
Other Authors: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publications 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/11771801211016873
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/11771801211016873
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/11771801211016873
Description
Summary:Indigenous populations in Canada are disproportionately affected by early childhood caries. The Healthy Smile, Happy Child initiative utilizes a community development approach to encourage community uptake of evidence-based early childhood oral health promotion strategies. Sharing circles and focus groups elicited First Nations and Metis (Indigenous peoples of mixed Indigenous-European, primarily French, ancestry) views on the challenges of keeping children caries-free. We share participants’ experiences and viewpoints on implementation research strategies, principles and protocols that are sensitive to Indigenous community-based contexts.