Child Sexual Abuse—Challenging Conditions for Adult Oral Health: A Qualitative Study
Date
2021
Journal Title
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Publisher
JDR Clinical & Translational Research
Abstract
The aim was to analyze
perceptions of oral health in adults
who have been exposed to child
sexual abuse. Eleven participants
(10 women), 19 to 56 y of age, who
had experienced sexual abuse as
children were purposively selected and
interviewed in-depth. The participants
were encouraged to describe how they
perceived the effect of the sexual abuse
on their oral health as adults. The
interviews were recorded digitally and
transcribed verbatim. The collected
material was analyzed according
to qualitative content analysis.
The theme “challenging conditions
for maintaining oral health” was
identified, comprising 2 categories:
first, “the emotional significance,”
with the subcategories 1) emotional
barriers and 2) powerful relief, and
second, “the obstacles to oral health,”
with the subcategories 1) daily selfcare with complications and 2) dental
appointments with difficulties. The
findings indicate that the experience
of sexual abuse during childhood
can have a negative impact on oral
care in adulthood. The informants
stated that oral health was of utmost
importance but also associated with strong emotions. There were obstacles
to maintenance of oral health that
were difficult to surmount.
Description
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Keywords
International Resources, Sweden, oral health, child abuse survivors, dental fear, dental care, access to care, anxiety
Citation
Wolf, E., Månsson, S., Wallin, L., & Priebe, G. (2021). Child Sexual Abuse—Challenging Conditions for Adult Oral Health: A Qualitative Study. JDR Clinical & Translational Research, 23800844211053775.