Drinking Water Practices Among Latino Families in North Carolina: A qualitative study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the beliefs, experiences and practices regarding drinking water among the North Carolina (NC) Latino community, and to gather information on what would make effective messages to promote fluoridated community water (CW) consumption among Latino families.Methods: Phone interviews were conducted with Latino stakeholders, consisting of parents of young children and key community informants (n=15). The interviews were audio-recorded, and transcripts were analyzed qualitatively using Atlas. ti.8 software.Results: Major themes emerging from the interviews included: poor characteristics of CW misconceptions and lack of knowledge about CW fluoridation and safety, ingrained culture/upbringing that devalued CW consumption, and reasons for consuming CW. Participants suggested that effective efforts to promote fluoridated CW consumption among the NC Latino community should be implemented in a variety of formats and involve a collaborative approach between Spanish-speaking health professionals and community workers.Conclusion: Successful promotion of fluoridated CW consumption among NC Latino communities requires engagement of both health professionals and community stakeholders. Effective interventions aimed to promote fluoridated CW consumption need to be widespread, informative, persuasive, credible, culturally sensitive, and interactive.