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

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.