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. 2025;30(1-3):13-28.
doi: 10.1080/10810730.2024.2433528. Epub 2024 Dec 24.

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

Lourdes S Martinez  1 , Aachal Devi  2 , Gerardo Maupomé  3 , Melody K Schiaffino  4 , Guadalupe X Ayala  4 , Vanessa L Malcarne  5 , Kristin S Hoeft  6 , Tracy L Finlayson  4
Affiliations

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

Lourdes S Martinez et al. J Health Commun. 2025.

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.

Keywords: Social support; health disparities; oral health; social networks.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of Alters Named as Support Sources for Brushing Note: Egos named up to five people they interacted the most who served as sources of social support for this specific oral behavior.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of Alters Named as Support Sources for Flossing Note: Egos named up to five people they interacted the most who served as sources of social support for this specific oral behavior.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of Alters Named as Support Sources for Dental Care Note: Egos named up to five people they interacted the most who served as sources of social support for this specific oral behavior.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of Alters Named as Support Sources for General Social Support Note: Egos named up to five people they interacted the most who served as sources of general social support.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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