Immigrant parents' perspectives on children's oral health and barriers to a culturally adapted intervention in Norway.

Introduction: A previous culturally adapted oral health intervention was deemed ineffective in improving immigrant parents' oral health-related knowledge and attitudes. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceived barriers to benefiting from the intervention and the perspectives of immigrant parents regarding their children's oral health behaviors, and use of dental health services. Materials and methods: Forty-five immigrant parents who previously received the intervention were invited; 12 consented to participate and were interviewed using semi-structured individual interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The participants were all women aged 28-44, from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and South America. Most were college or university-educated and were employed. Four main themes were identified: Conclusions: This study highlights the influence of immigrant parents' cultural backgrounds, daily challenges, and interactions with the Norwegian dental health system on their children's oral health practices and perceptions of the oral health intervention. The findings suggest that oral health interventions should be comprehensive, easy to remember, and delivered by credible professionals. Furthermore, to promote positive behavioral change, it is advisable to provide continuous support, repeat oral health care guidance, provide clear communication, and utilize native languages. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: [NCT05758454].