Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Caregivers in Relation to Oral Health of Preschool Children

Abstract

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of caregivers in Kuwait in relation to the oral health of preschool children. Subjects and Methods: Questionnaires with multiple-choice questions were distributed to 334 caregivers of children under the age of 6 years attending vaccination centers in Kuwait. For each question, one of the multiple-choice answers was consistent with the consensus in the pediatric dental literature in relation to early childhood caries prevention, and was considered to be correct. The χ² test, independent t test, ANOVA, and stepwise linear regression were used to assess the associations between the variables in question and p ≤ 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. Results: Of the 334 participants, 234 (70%) were between 20 and 40 years of age with a high school diploma or higher degree and had between 2 and 5 children. The mean knowledge score was 4.68 ± 1.87, the mean attitude score was 4.34 ± 0.88 and the mean practice score was 2.45 ± 0.99. Major weaknesses were reported in infant oral health-related concepts. Mothers had better knowledge than other caregivers (p < 0.001). Higher education was significantly associated with better knowledge (p = 0.003) and better practices (p = 0.017). In addition, knowledge, attitude and level of education were positively and significantly associated with practices (p < 0.005). Conclusions: Our study showed that caregivers had weak knowledge and practice in relation to the oral health of preschool children. Mothers and caregivers with higher education had better knowledge and practices. Education and attitude appeared to be favorable indicators of the caregivers’ practices with regard to the oral health of their preschool children.

Risk determinants associated with early childhood caries in Uygur children: a preschool-based cross-sectional study

“…Supervised tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste has been associated with a 20–30% reduction in caries prevalence in other countries [34]. Lack of familiarity with children’s dental health condition, low general oral health knowledge, and negative dental disease preventive behaviors were revealed in this population, which might be attributable to parental educational qualifications and to socioeconomic and cultural status, as previously observed [18, 23, 29, 37]. Parents also underestimate the importance of deciduous teeth, because they are replaced by permanent teeth.…”

“…The Uygur-language questionnaire was designed by our research team with reference to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and to consensus in the current pediatric dental literature [1, 6, 29]. The questionnaire was pre-tested for clarity.…”

Assessment of oral health attitudes and behavior among students of Kuwait University Health Sciences Center

“…[112627] This discrepancy maybe attributed to the lack of early exposure to oral health at younger age along with shortage from the government, represented by school health programs, to educate mothers, care givers, and young students to implant the basic knowledge of dental and oral health. [2829] In addition, this divergence may be attributed to cultural and regional differences found among these dental schools; however, these differences would likely be best demonstrated by the HU-DBI scores of students just beginning their dental education. [30] Therefore, the HU-DBI scores of all dental students is more likely to be attributed to the direct effects of the dental students’ curriculum.…”

Significant caries and the interactive effects of maternal‐related oral hygiene factors in urban preschool children

“…A low maternal education level contributes to a lack of information and education about children's oral health care . Studies have demonstrated strong positive correlations between the development of caries in preschool children and several risk indicators, including maternal knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward discipline ; moreover, the oral self‐care behaviors of mothers also positively influences the tooth‐brushing behaviors of preschool children .…”

“…More closely examining the major factors that affect caries in children would be useful in formulating caries‐prevention programs for preschool children, primarily by enhancing mothers’ caries‐related knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward their children. While the prevalence of caries and related factors have been well researched in regard to schoolchildren and preschool children , there is a lack of literature that investigates severe carious dentition among urban preschool children using the SiC Index and the interactive effects of maternal‐related oral hygiene factors. In an effort to prevent caries and stop caries from worsening, this study aims to identify the high caries prevalence group among Taiwanese urban children aged 4‐6 years and to determine the factors associated with SiC for this group.…”