IADR Abstract Archives
Caregivers' Oral Health Literacy and Preschool Children's OHRQoL
Objectives: 1) To assess OHRQoL among preschool children in the Kampar District
2) To assess levels of OHL among caregivers of preschool children in the Kampar district
3) To assess the association between caregivers’ levels of OHL and their preschool children’s OHRQoL
4) To explore whether caregivers’ OHL has a modifying effect in the association between preschool children’s perceived oral health status and OHRQoL.
Methods: A cross-sectional study using cluster randomised sampling technique was conducted on 661 preschool children in Kampar district. Caregivers answered a self-administered questionnaire consisted of caregivers’ demographic information, child’s perceived oral health status and oral health-related behaviours, Malay Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (Malay-ECOHIS) and Dental Health Literacy Assessment Instrument (DHLAI).
Results: The response rate was 89.6%. Majority of caregivers had good level of total OHL (54.3%). In terms of OHL subscales, the majority of caregivers had good level of Skills and Motivation (67.8%) and moderate level of Knowledge (72.5%). However, more than half had poor level of Comprehension (58.9%). There was a weak negative correlation between caregivers’ OHL and preschool children’s OHRQoL. The correlation was statistically significant (r = -0.155, p=0.001). Caregivers with moderate level of OHL had children with significantly higher ECOHIS mean score compared to caregivers with high level of OHL (p<0.05). The modifying role of OHL in the association between preschool children’s oral health status and OHRQoL was evident.
Conclusions: The majority of caregivers had good level of OHL with very low oral impacts among preschool children. There was an association between caregivers’ OHL and preschool children’s OHRQoL. Caregivers’ OHL levels act as a modifying factor in the association between preschool children’s oral health status and OHRQoL where the association’s magnitude and gradient were less pronounced among caregivers with high OHL level.
2) To assess levels of OHL among caregivers of preschool children in the Kampar district
3) To assess the association between caregivers’ levels of OHL and their preschool children’s OHRQoL
4) To explore whether caregivers’ OHL has a modifying effect in the association between preschool children’s perceived oral health status and OHRQoL.
Methods: A cross-sectional study using cluster randomised sampling technique was conducted on 661 preschool children in Kampar district. Caregivers answered a self-administered questionnaire consisted of caregivers’ demographic information, child’s perceived oral health status and oral health-related behaviours, Malay Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (Malay-ECOHIS) and Dental Health Literacy Assessment Instrument (DHLAI).
Results: The response rate was 89.6%. Majority of caregivers had good level of total OHL (54.3%). In terms of OHL subscales, the majority of caregivers had good level of Skills and Motivation (67.8%) and moderate level of Knowledge (72.5%). However, more than half had poor level of Comprehension (58.9%). There was a weak negative correlation between caregivers’ OHL and preschool children’s OHRQoL. The correlation was statistically significant (r = -0.155, p=0.001). Caregivers with moderate level of OHL had children with significantly higher ECOHIS mean score compared to caregivers with high level of OHL (p<0.05). The modifying role of OHL in the association between preschool children’s oral health status and OHRQoL was evident.
Conclusions: The majority of caregivers had good level of OHL with very low oral impacts among preschool children. There was an association between caregivers’ OHL and preschool children’s OHRQoL. Caregivers’ OHL levels act as a modifying factor in the association between preschool children’s oral health status and OHRQoL where the association’s magnitude and gradient were less pronounced among caregivers with high OHL level.