title: Oral literacy demand of preventive dental visits in a pediatric medical office: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the oral literacy demands placed on parents of young children during preventive dental visits in a pediatric medical office.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transcripts of audio recordings for 15 pediatric medical visits were analyzed to assess the oral literacy demand of the visit, as measured by use of terminology, language complexity, and structural characteristics of the dialogue. Parent-completed surveys were used to determine recall of dental concepts discussed during the visit. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to identify relationships among these measures and parental recall of the visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Visits were interactive and used limited jargon and uncomplicated language. Oral literacy demand measures were associated with each other. Parental recall of the visit was associated with measures of high oral literacy demand.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessing measures of oral literacy demand is a novel method for examining provider communication used during preventive dental visits in a pediatric medical office. Providers displayed low oral literacy demand when communicating with parents. Parental recall of dental concepts, however, was associated unexpectedly with higher oral literacy demand. Further research should examine a larger sample size and the effect of measures of oral literacy demand among low- and high-literacy patients.
authors: Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. akranz@unc.edu
authors: Ashley M
authors: AM
authors: Kranz
authors: Bhavna T
authors: BT
authors: Pahel
authors: R Gary
authors: RG
authors: Rozier
mesh_terms: D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003142:Communication; D032882:Comprehension; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009909:Oral Health; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010372:Pediatrics; D010823:Physician Assistants; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012944:Social Support; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000502:physiology; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005459:Fluorides