The goal of the proposed research training plan for Noelle Huntington is to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to become an independent researcher in children?s oral health. The fulfillment of this goal will occur in two phases. The focus of phase one is the relationship between psychosocial factors and oral health outcomes in adults, and will be investigated through secondary analysis of data from the VA Dental Longitudinal Study (DLS) and Normative Aging Study (NAS). Two sets of questions will be addressed. The first concerns the relationship between three oral health constructs - clinical status, self-report of status, and oral health-related quality of life. The second set of questions concerns the disparity in oral health outcomes by socioeconomic condition. It is hypothesized that factors secondary to socioeconomic condition (e.g., insurance, access) serve as mediators between SES and oral health. Theory-based models of these relationships will be designed and tested using DLS and NAS data, including models of change in oral health status following changes in socioeconomic or mediating variables. The second phase will serve as an orientation to the area of children?s oral health research through the guided development and testing of a measure of oral health-related quality of life in children. This measure will then be used to facilitate future research in oral health-related quality of life, beyond the period covered by this fellowship.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32DE005742-03
Application #
6690421
Study Section
NIDCR Special Grants Review Committee (DSR)
Program Officer
Hardwick, Kevin S
Project Start
2001-12-31
Project End
Budget Start
2003-01-01
Budget End
2003-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$41,608
Indirect Cost
Name
Boston VA Research Institute, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
962848586
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02130
Huntington, Noelle L; Spetter, Dante; Jones, Judith A et al. (2011) Development and validation of a measure of pediatric oral health-related quality of life: the POQL. J Public Health Dent 71:185-93