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. 2022 Sep 8;19(18):11288.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811288.

Exploring the Relationships between Children's Oral Health and Parents' Oral Health Knowledge, Literacy, Behaviours and Adherence to Recommendations: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Ewelina Chawłowska  1 , Monika Karasiewicz  1 , Agnieszka Lipiak  1 , Mateusz Cofta  1 , Brittany Fechner  2 , Agnieszka Lewicka-Rabska  3 , Agata Pruciak  4 , Karolina Gerreth  5
Affiliations

Exploring the Relationships between Children's Oral Health and Parents' Oral Health Knowledge, Literacy, Behaviours and Adherence to Recommendations: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Ewelina Chawłowska et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Although preventable, early childhood caries (ECC) is a burdening condition in all WHO regions, with Poland being one of the most affected countries in Europe. Effective home-based prevention of ECC is available and recommended by several expert bodies. Therefore, we wanted to determine how well parents were following selected oral health recommendations in preschool children. Additionally, we wanted to determine which socioeconomic factors influenced such practices the most, and how parents' oral health literacy and behaviours affected the oral hygiene and oral health status of their children. A cross-sectional survey involving 2338 parents and caregivers of children from 167 kindergartens was performed. Children's oral hygiene and oral health status were found to be associated with parents' education and economic status. They were also strongly influenced by parental health literacy and behaviours. With respect to recommendations for preschoolers, the lowest adherence was found in the use of fluoride toothpaste and its age-appropriate amount, supervision of toothbrushing, and refraining from eating after last toothbrushing. The improvement in these areas could be achieved thanks to the involvement of health professionals such as gynaecologists, midwives, and primary care personnel in efforts aimed at increasing parents' oral health knowledge and literacy.

Keywords: dental health; early childhood caries; health knowledge; home-based health promotion; oral behaviours; oral health literacy; parents; preschool children; public health; recommendations.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Skipping the twice-a-day toothbrushing routine: parents vs. their children.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The amounts of toothpaste used: parents vs. their children.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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