IADR Abstract Archives
Parental oral-health knowledge, attitude and behaviors on caries of children
Objectives: To study the association between dental caries status of the 12-year-old Bulang children and their parental oral health related knowledge, attitude and behaviors in Yunnan, China.
Methods: Multi-stage cluster sampling method was used. A sample of 900 12-year old Bulang school children was invited for an oral examination. Their parents were asked to join a questionnaire survey. The clinical examination assessed the caries experience of the children in DMFT, and the parental question studied the parental oral health related knowledge, attitude and behaviors. The questionnaire was validated in a previous study. Parental oral health related knowledge score was constructed by the sum of the acceptable answers of the questions asked; and the attitude was determined by accounting the number of response with positive attitude. Oral health related behaviors were measured by snaking habit, tooth brushing practice and dental visit. Negative binomial regression models were used to examine the association between the caries experience and the parental oral health related knowledge, attitude and behaviors.
Results: A total of 871 children attended the clinical examination and 691 parents returned the questionnaire. For those children with parental questionnaire, their mean DMFT (SD) and DT (SD) were 0.6 (1.1) and 0.5 (1.1), respectively. The mean knowledge (SD) and attitude score (SD) were 6.7 (4.0) and 4.1 (2.1), respectively. Results of regression showed that parental oral health related attitude was significantly associated with caries experience (rate ratio: 1.083, 95% C.I: 1.010-1.162). The rate ratio for the girls having caries experiences (DMFT > 0) was 1.5 times more than for the boys. There was no significant association between the caries experience of Bulang children and their parental oral health knowledge or behaviors.
Conclusions: Parental oral health related attitude, but not the knowledge and the behviors, is associated with caries experience among Bulang children.
Methods: Multi-stage cluster sampling method was used. A sample of 900 12-year old Bulang school children was invited for an oral examination. Their parents were asked to join a questionnaire survey. The clinical examination assessed the caries experience of the children in DMFT, and the parental question studied the parental oral health related knowledge, attitude and behaviors. The questionnaire was validated in a previous study. Parental oral health related knowledge score was constructed by the sum of the acceptable answers of the questions asked; and the attitude was determined by accounting the number of response with positive attitude. Oral health related behaviors were measured by snaking habit, tooth brushing practice and dental visit. Negative binomial regression models were used to examine the association between the caries experience and the parental oral health related knowledge, attitude and behaviors.
Results: A total of 871 children attended the clinical examination and 691 parents returned the questionnaire. For those children with parental questionnaire, their mean DMFT (SD) and DT (SD) were 0.6 (1.1) and 0.5 (1.1), respectively. The mean knowledge (SD) and attitude score (SD) were 6.7 (4.0) and 4.1 (2.1), respectively. Results of regression showed that parental oral health related attitude was significantly associated with caries experience (rate ratio: 1.083, 95% C.I: 1.010-1.162). The rate ratio for the girls having caries experiences (DMFT > 0) was 1.5 times more than for the boys. There was no significant association between the caries experience of Bulang children and their parental oral health knowledge or behaviors.
Conclusions: Parental oral health related attitude, but not the knowledge and the behviors, is associated with caries experience among Bulang children.