Using a Social Network Approach to Characterize Oral Health Behavior Social Support Among Mexican-Origin Young Adults

Abstract

Using a social network approach, we characterize who Mexican-origin young adults perceive as social support sources for oral health behaviors and provide additional validity evidence for Oral Health Behavior Social Support Scales (OHBSS). From April to September 2022, we gathered social network data from 62 Mexican-origin adults (21-40 years old) through Zoom interviews about their perceived received social support for three oral health behaviors (toothbrushing, flossing, and obtaining dental care) from three potential sources of support (family, health providers, and others/friends). Overall, we found similar results across all three oral health behaviors. We also found evidence for convergent and discriminant validity of OHBSS scales using social network measures. Implications of findings are discussed.