Till Örebro universitet

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore and describe ways of experiencing and perceiving the Eastern African practice of infant dental enucleation (IDE) among immigrants of Somali origin living in Sweden.

Material and methods: Six informants, three men and three women aged 26-54 years, were recruited for semi-structured individual interviews. Phenomenographic analysis of the interview transcripts was performed.

Findings: Informants described four ways of experiencing and perceiving IDE: as an effective, necessary treatment; as a disputed tradition; as an alternative to failure; and as a desperate measure. The experiences and perceptions were highly influenced by the contexts the informants had been in, namely, communities in which traditional treatments were used frequently, in which other people were influential over their daily lives, and in which negative experiences of formal health care were common, as well as other difficult circumstances beyond the informants' individual control.

Conclusions: The findings contribute to deepened understanding of IDE and the importance of context to the practice of it. Further, the findings deepen understanding of the decision to have the practice performed on infants, which may help dental and health care personnel to adequately communicate with individuals of Somali origin about the harmfulness of IDE.