# Exploring Oral Health Challenges and Barriers to Dental Care Among Children in Cabo Verde: A Qualitative Study

## TL;DR

This study explores the oral health challenges faced by children in Cabo Verde, highlighting how tourism and limited access to dental care contribute to poor dental health.

## Contribution

The study identifies tourism's role in worsening children's oral health through sugar distribution, a rarely discussed factor in low-income countries.

## Key findings

- Tourist-provided sweets and limited fresh produce access contribute to poor dietary habits among children.
- Schools and community associations have limited capacity to provide comprehensive oral health education.
- Dental service accessibility is constrained by affordability and availability in Cabo Verde.

## Abstract

Global oral health is a crucial topic since this (largely preventable) burden affects 3.5 million people worldwide, disproportionately impacting disadvantaged groups and exacerbating in low‐ and middle‐income countries like Cabo Verde. Our aim in this exploratory study was to understand the oral health landscape for children in Sal, Cabo Verde.

Through a purposive sampling strategy and snowballing approach, we identified 38 stakeholders, including 20 schoolchildren and 8 parents. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews and focus groups. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach.

Three main themes emerged from the data: oral health knowledge and practices, dietary habits, and dental service accessibility. Key challenges included time constraints limiting comprehensive oral health education in schools; parental struggles in managing children's habits; pervasive availability of sugar‐rich foods driven by affordability and social influence; provision of sweets by tourists reinforcing uncontrolled sugar intake; and limited access to professional oral health care. Community associations played a dual role, offering support but lacking structured oral health initiatives.

This study highlights systemic barriers to oral health among Cabo Verdean children and reveals unique local dynamics. Tourism—while economically beneficial—unintentionally contributes to poor oral health through sweets distribution and shifting dietary habits, a factor rarely addressed in the literature. Limited access to affordable care and underutilized community associations further exacerbate challenges. These findings call for integrated strategies that strengthen community‐based programs and embed oral health considerations into tourism and education policies.

Our findings suggest poor oral health among children in Cabo Verde, driven by dietary patterns, including tourist‐provided sweets, limited fresh produce access, and inadequate affordable dental services. Educational interventions in schools and community groups present key opportunities for oral health improvement.