Immigrant Caregivers of Young Children: Oral Health Beliefs, Attitudes, and Early Childhood Caries Knowledge

Abstract

The incidence of early childhood caries (ECC) is a global public health concern. The oral health knowledge of a caregiver can affect a child's risk for developing ECC. An exploratory study of the oral health knowledge and behaviors among caregivers of children 6 years of age and younger was conducted with a convenience sample of adults (n = 114) enrolled in English language or high school equivalency examination courses. The majority of study participants were born in Asia (47 %). Other birth regions included South America (16 %), Caribbean (16 %), Africa (10 %), and Central America (6 %). Study findings showed caregivers with low oral health knowledge were more likely to engage in behaviors that increase a child's risk for developing ECC. A statistically significant relationship was found between participants' rating of their child's dental health as poor and the belief that children should not be weaned from the nursing bottle by 12 months of age (P = 0.002), brushing should not begin upon tooth eruption (P = 0.01), and fluoride does not strengthen teeth and prevent dental caries (P = 0.005). Subjects who pre-chewed their child's food also exhibited behaviors including sharing eating utensils or a toothbrush with their child (P < 0.001). Additional caregiver behaviors included providing their child with a bottle containing cariogenic liquids in a crib (P < 0.001). As a result of this research, it is pertinent that culturally sensitive oral health promotion programs are developed and implemented to raise awareness and reduce the risk of dental disease among immigrant populations.

Parental Knowledge and Practices on Preschool Children Oral Healthcare in Nibong Tebal Penang, Malaysia

“…If there is, the cost is quite high which is not affordable for parents who have low income. Therefore, they prefer the closest public or private dentist but not the cheapest as they still want to give the best and quick treatment to their children [6][7][8][9].…”

Estudo SAIMI – Hábitos de escovagem dentária em crianças e adolescentes imigrantes do subcontinente indiano em Lisboa

“…Tal sugere que existe menor investimento na escovagem durante o período de dentição decídua, o que poderá estar associado à menor importância que lhe é associada pelos cuidadores, [31][32][33] nomeadamente nos estabelecimentos de ensino pré -escolar, onde existem oportunidades para introduzir hábitos regulares e sustentáveis de escovagem em crianças de todos os níveis socioeconómicos. 18,34 Nos Estados Unidos da América, 35 114 imigrantes adultos (47% asiáticos), cuidadores de crianças com ≤ 6 anos de idade, revelaram uma correlação significativa entre uma saúde dentária 'pobre' nas crianças e a crença pelos cuidadores de que a escovagem dentária não se devia iniciar com a erupção do primeiro dente.…”

Development and usability testing of mobile application on diet and oral health

“…Because oral health of the children is closely linked to the circumstances and lifestyle of the child’s caregivers, early intervention programs should include their parents [ 32 , 33 ]. This research is required since little is reported about the state of the currently accessible oral health-related smartphone application in Malaysia, and there are no prior studies available on the overall development and usability of the current mobile application that focuses on both diet and oral health for the prevention of early childhood caries.…”