Oral Health Disparities Among Latino Children Informed by Research in WA State, Presented at NOHC

Latina Creative Agency, Washington Dental Service Foundation and Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic will Present “Latino Children’s Oral Health Opinion Research & Model Program” at National Oral Health Conference in Kansas City

Recent large national survey conducted by the CDC revealed that 26 percent of Hispanic 6- to 9-year olds suffered from untreated tooth decay, compared with 14 percent of non-Hispanic white children of the same age, and revealed major gap in access to oral health care for Latino Children. Washington Dental Service Foundation engaged a northwest multicultural marketing firm and a research company to further understand how this affects Washington State Latino communities. Latina Creative Agency and Washington Dental Service Foundation will present findings and best practices at the 2015 National Oral Health Conference, the premiere meeting for dental public health, which takes place April 20-27, 2015 in Kansas City, MO.

In 2014, Washington Dental Service Foundation, DHM Research and Latina Creative Agency designed and conducted English and Spanish-language focus groups around the Seattle-area and in Eastern Washington. The goal was to gain a better understanding of the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding oral health among low- to moderate-income Latina mothers and teenagers. The main issues discovered include low dental utilization, social barriers, language, affordability of insurance, fear of deportation as well as fear of public assistance affecting residency.

Latina Creative Agency Co-Founder and Principal, Cynarah Ellawala will join Senior Program Manager at Washington Dental Service Foundation, Laura Flores Cantrell JD, and Adam Thompson DDS from Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic on a panel discussion entitled “Latino Children’s Oral Health Opinion Research & Model Program.” The panel will highlight the best practices for Latino opinion research and focus group design based on recent focus groups conducted by Latina Creative Agency on behalf of Washington Dental Service Foundation. Cynarah Ellawala will discuss:

• Strategies to respectfully engage with the Latino community

• Recruiting strategies that build trust within the Latino communities

• Elements of an interview guide

• Bilingual moderator techniques

• Research design considerations

Ellawala is a northwest multicultural marketing expert and was selected based on her experience soliciting input from the Latino community. She also has experience working on multicultural and diversity campaigns/projects for the University of Washington, The Clorox Company, and Microsoft.

“As a multicultural marketing company we aim to help our clients understand this segment’s needs, support research and design campaigns that respectfully communicates with this segment. With a growing number of Latinos both nationally and in Washington state there is an urgent need for organizations to understand how to effectively engage with this community. I am looking forward to presenting best practices for recruiting and moderating focus groups in Spanish that elicit meaningful input,” shares Cynarah Ellawala.

The National Oral Health Conference features a variety of educational sessions that will focus on issues and topics relevant to research, policy, programs and community-based care. The conference is targeted towards health professionals including dentists, dental hygienists, researchers, dental/health educators, students and public health officials to name a few. The conference has an expected participation of over 800 attendees and 30 exhibitors over the 5+ days of programming.

2015 National Oral Health Conference

Latino Children’s Oral Health Opinion Research & Model Program Wednesday, April 29, 2015 2:00 – 3:00 pm Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center

2345 McGee Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64108 http://www.nationaloralhealthconference.com

About Latina Creative Agency
Latina Creative Agency is a full-service agency providing integrated marketing, community outreach, and PR services to clients in the lifestyle, consumer goods, and public service marketplace. Using all available mediums, digital and traditional, LCA connects client’s brands with their customers in the multicultural marketplace. With an experienced group of first, second, and third generation Bilingual talent, LCA takes into account cultural differences, localisms, and idioms making them reach beyond translation.

For more information please visit www.latinacreativeagency.com Follow LCA on Twitter at @LatinaCreative and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/latinacreativeagency.

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