Development and Implementation of a Culturally Competent Storytelling Based Educational Intervention to Prevent Early Childhood Caries in American Indian/Alaska Native Populations in California

Brief Summary:
This roundtable will discuss the development and implement­­­ation of a storytelling-based educational intervention on dental health for American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) populations. Storytelling has been a treasured part of Native culture that brings to life values such as wellness, the next generation and wisdom of elders. The Native Oral Health Project (NOHP) is a developmental project, supported by the NIDCR, that takes advantage of new and existing partnerships developed by the California Tribal Epidemiology Center (CTEC) and Dental Support Center (DSC) of the California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB), with organizations and members of the AIAN community in California, as well as academic experts in oral health. We use these networks to develop, implement and assess the feasibility and acceptability of an educational intervention to prevent early childhood caries among AIAN children. The intervention is a traditional story that incorporates 10 oral health messages aimed ­­­­­­­­at caregivers of young children. Discussion of NOHP Development will focus on measures taken to establish partnerships and communication with key stakeholders including traditional storytellers and a community advisory board, and the development of a traditional story (intervention) to incorporate contemporary messaging while ensuring the retention of its traditional foundation. Discussion of NOHP Implementation will focus on the execution of storytelling sessions, strategies to recruit and retain participants, gathering feedback, and challenges faced. Finally, we will briefly discuss plans for future implementation on a wider geographic scale, while building upon community collaborations and partnerships formed in this developmental project.