Understanding the Role of Social Capital in Oral Health of First Nations Children

Objectives: To explore how the concept of social capital can be utilized to generate ideas for a First Nations community oral health initiative.;Methods: A qualitative case study design was employed. An interview guide developed based on Putnam's concept of social capital directed 7 individual and 2 focus group interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim.;Results: While a strong bonding social capital was found among the members of this close-knit community, an obvious need for improvement of bridging social capital to reach external resources was observed. Access to preventive measures and dental care seemed to be major barriers to oral health for this community. Mobilizing or building community's social capital can play a role when planning future interventions.;Conclusions: A better understanding of social capital may enhance the Band's investment and productivity as they strive to improve oral health outcomes by enforcing healthy oral behaviors and to improve access to external resources.