title: Developing explanatory models of health inequalities in childhood dental caries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long-term aim is to determine optimum interventions to reduce dental caries in children in disadvantaged communities and minimise the effects of exclusion from health care systems, of ethnic diversity, and health inequalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Generation of initial explanatory models, study protocol and development of two standardised measures. First, to investigate how parental attitudes may impact on their children's oral health-related behaviours and second, to assess how dentists' attitudes may impact on the provision of dental care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Core research team, lead methodologists, 44 consortium members from 18 countries. To complete the development of the questionnaire, the initial set of items was administered to parents (n = 23) with children in nursery schools in Dundee, Scotland and sent to the same parents one week later. A standardised measure examining barriers to providing dental care for children aged 3 to 6 years was developed. 20 dentists working in primary dental care in Scotland completed the measure on two different occasions separated by one week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Explanatory models were developed. Family questionnaire: test-retest reliability excellent (r = 0.93 p < or = 0.001) with very good internal reliability (alpha = 0.89). Dentists questionnaire: excellent test-re-test reliability r = 0.88, (alpha = 0.90).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interaction between consortium members enhanced the validity of the questionnaires and protocols for different cultural locations. There were challenges in developing and delivering this multi-centre study. Experience gained will support the development of substantive trials and longitudinal studies to address the considerable international health disparity of childhood dental caries.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre on Oral Health in Deprived Communities, University of Liverpool Dental School, England, UK. cmpine@liverpool.ac.uk
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pine
authors.forename: Pauline M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.forename: Poul Erik
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Chester
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Douglass
authors.forename: Girvan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnside
authors.forename: Alison D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Nicoll
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gillett
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beighton
authors.forename: Bian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jin-You
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Broukal
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Ivor G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Chestnutt
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Declerck
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Devine
authors.forename: Ivar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Espelid
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falcolini
authors.forename: Feng Xi
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Tshepo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gugushe
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kirkham
authors.forename: Edward C M
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maupomé
authors.forename: Sudeshni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ramos-Gomez
authors.forename: Betty King
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035862:Vulnerable Populations