Parental Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Child Caries Prevention
Author Information
Author(s): Skaret Erik, Espelid Ivar, Skeie Marit S, Haugejorden Ola
Primary Institution: Faculty of Dentistry, UoB, PB 7800, N-5020, Bergen, Norway
Hypothesis
Parents whose children were caries-free at age 5 years had more positive attitudes towards child oral health care when the children were 3 years old than parents of children with caries experience at age 5.
Conclusion
The results showed a fair to good consistency of parental self-reports from 2002 to 2004 and indicated that parents with different cultural backgrounds should be evaluated separately.
Supporting Evidence
- 76.8% of parents reported starting to brush their child's teeth before age 1 in 2002.
- 85% reported the same in 2004.
- Parents of caries-free children reported more positive beliefs about oral health care.
Takeaway
Parents' beliefs about taking care of their child's teeth can change over time, and it's important to understand how different cultures view this.
Methodology
The study followed parents of 3-year-old children over two years, surveying them about their oral health habits and beliefs.
Potential Biases
The study may be influenced by self-reporting biases and cultural differences in attitudes.
Limitations
The small number of subjects in the immigrant group limits the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The sample included 273 mothers of western origin and 31 of non-western origin.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
0.40–0.62
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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