Public and health professional opposition to community water fluoridation: An investigation of trust and perceived risk in the context of new, local research findings
Date
2018-08-23
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Abstract
Background: Community water fluoridation (CWF) has remained a highly-debated topic among the public since it was introduced in 1945. Since then, several studies have provided support for the safety and effectiveness of CWF, although there are limitations to both the quantity and quality of the current evidence base. Despite the available scientific data, there exists a divide on public views toward CWF. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand how health professionals and members of the public in Calgary, who self-identify as opposed to CWF, make sense of locally-relevant and recent research evidence on fluoridation cessation and tooth decay in the city of Calgary. I sought to gain insights into fluoridation specifically and public health initiatives more generally. Methods: I undertook a critical qualitative study, informed by theories of risk perception and trust in authority figures and the scientific community. Four health professionals were purposively recruited to participate in one-on-one interviews based on their self-identified opposition to CWF. Participants were asked to discuss their views on CWF and public health research in general, with a focus on publications from a study of the short-term implications for children’s dental caries of terminating CWF in Calgary in 2011. To supplement interview responses, I analyzed online comments pertaining to the Calgary fluoridation cessation study. Results: Overall, I observed three prominent and overlapping themes: (1) Fluoridation research criticisms, which describes criticisms and negative comments from interviewees and online commenters about the Calgary fluoridation study specifically, and fluoridation research in general. (2) Selective Mistrust expressed by interviewees and online commenters toward the Calgary fluoridation cessation study, health research, and researchers, and (3) the Individualization of health, wherein interviewees and online commenters were skeptical toward health and government authority figures and their ability to make appropriate health decisions for the public, which led to the perception that the responsibility for oral health lies with the individual. Conclusions: With the publication of local research on fluoridation cessation, this study provided a ‘real time’ opportunity to gain a contemporary, nuanced understanding of what characterizes fluoridation opposition among some health professionals and members of the public.
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Public Health, Community water fluoridation
Citation
Fundytus, K. A. (2018). Public and health professional opposition to community water fluoridation: An investigation of trust and perceived risk in the context of new, local research findings (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32857