Caregiver Social Status, Dental Knowledge, Self-efficacy and Child Oral Health.

Objectives: To assess if caregiver’s social status, knowledge and self-efficacy determine caregiver’s and child’s oral health outcomes
Methods: A total of 150 caregiver child pairs participated (recruitment rate=87.7%). Three outcomes ‘oral self-care’, ‘functional dentition’ and ‘dental treatment needs’ were assessed for caregivers/children. The information about social status, knowledge, self-efficacy was gathered only for caregivers. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) tested measurement and structural models. Testing of measurement models (MM) confirmed a three latent factor structure (social status, knowledge, self-efficacy) each of them represented by three indicators.
Results: MM had a good overall fit as indicated by non-significant c2 estimates, high GFI>.95, NFI~.80 and CFI>95 and low RMSEA<0.05 values. The structural model linked three latent factors with three study outcomes. The best fit was found for the unrevised hypothetical model for ‘functional dentition’, while hypothetical models for ‘oral self-care’ and ‘dental treatment needs’ needed to be revised. Final structural models presented a good overall fit and the following significant causal links were observed: ‘caregiver oral outcome’ with ‘child oral outcome’ (models for ‘oral self-care’ & ‘dental treatment needs’); ‘caregiver social status’ with ‘caregiver knowledge’ (all models), ‘Caregiver self-efficacy’ with ‘child oral outcome’ outcome’ (models for ‘functional dentition’ & ‘dental treatment needs’).
Conclusions: The hypothetical SEM model for the functional dentition was confirmed without revisions, while models for oral self-care and dental treatment needs needed some revisions.