The Influence of Parental Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Their Children

Lim Lee Sher *

T PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, University Brunei Darussalam, Tungku Link, Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam.

Haji Amirul Rizan bin Haji Mohamed

National Dental Centre, Bandar Seri Begawan, BB3513, Brunei Darussalam.

Hanif Abdul Rahman

T PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, University Brunei Darussalam, Tungku Link, Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

Background: Severely infected primary teeth from early childhood caries (ECC) cause pain and can negatively impact children's oral health, development, nutrition, and quality of life. As children tend to adopt their parents’ oral health knowledge and practices, knowing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the parents could help to prevent dental caries in children.

Aims: To assess the influence of parental oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on the oral health outcomes of their children under 6 years of age.

Methods and Material:  Cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 631 parents or caregivers of children below 6 years old who were randomly selected. The inclusive criteria included all parents or caregivers who attended appointments in Belait and Tutong Districts, between the period of January 2024 and March 2024. Illiterate parents or caregivers and parents or caregivers who participated in the pre-test were excluded. In the analysis, the sociodemographic variables and the correct answers for each domain were described as counts and percentages. The level of KAP was graded as “pass” or “fail” for each participant. These numbers of “pass” and “fail” for each domain were described as counts and percentages. The chi-squared test and logistic regressions were used to determine the associations between the sociodemographic variables and the grade of each domain. All the data collected was analyzed using R-studio Version 2022.12.0+353.

Results: 546 participated and 86.4% responded. Parental age of 30-40 and parents with College or Diploma and Bachelor degree or higher background were significantly associated with good oral health knowledge. Male parents were statistically associated with good oral health attitudes, and parents with 3-4 children were associated with good oral health practices.

Conclusion: Parental characteristics play a crucial role in shaping children’s oral health attitude and practice. Therefore, focus on motivating parents to improve their own oral health not only benefit their own oral health but also their children’s.

Keywords: Oral health, parents, knowledge, attitude, practices


How to Cite

Sher, Lim Lee, Haji Amirul Rizan bin Haji Mohamed, and Hanif Abdul Rahman. 2024. “The Influence of Parental Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Their Children”. Asian Journal of Dental Sciences 7 (1):334-49. https://journalajds.com/index.php/AJDS/article/view/212.

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