Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Parents on Early Childhood Caries in Qatar—A Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Objectives The aims of the present study were to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward early childhood caries (ECC) in a group of Qatari parents and to assess the association of sociodemographic factors on their KAP. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study which was based on a piloted self-administered questionnaire was conveniently distributed to parents who attended the Pediatric Dentistry Section, Hamad Dental Center (HDC), Doha, Qatar. The questionnaire comprised four parts which asked about sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. A score for each domain was given based on the percentage of correct answers. Statistical Analysis Descriptive and analytical statistics were employed. For descriptive statistics, frequency of distribution in relation to sociodemographic characteristics and responses to items of the questionnaire were presented. For analytical statistics, associations between independent variables and KAP were employed using Chi-squared tests. Results The overall mean scores of KAP were 60.8%, 65.6% and 72.7%, respectively. Females had significantly higher percentages of correct answers than males (p = 0.001). Only 20% of females had poor knowledge, while it was 40% in males. Parents with university or higher degrees had significantly higher percentage of good attitudes than parents with preparatory or less education (p = 0.05). Areas that necessitated improvement by parents included the following: the amount of toothpaste needed for brushing, signs of tooth demineralization, bacteria that causes tooth decay can be transmitted from mother to her child, and tooth decay can be transmitted by sharing utensils (i.e., spoons, forks). Conclusions The overall KAP of parents toward ECC was relatively fair. However, certain socioeconomic factors (SEF) seemed to influence each domain, and areas of improvement are needed. Areas of improvement are needed in each domain. Mothers were significantly more knowledgeable than fathers regarding oral health issues of their children. Highly educated parents demonstrated better attitudes than the less educated. Continuous educational programs coordinated by health regulatory bodies should be introduced to improve parents' KAP regarding ECC risk factors and prevention.

Mothers’ knowledge and practices towards oral hygiene of their children aged 5-9 years old: a cross-sectional study in Dhaka

“…Findings also revealed that a maximum of the mothers had good oral hygiene practice, but Krishnan et al found that 13.7% of the mothers had good practice (29). A significant association was present between knowledge level and age of the mothers in contrast with the study of Al-Jaber et al (32). Likewise educational status and monthly family income are significantly associated with knowledge level.…”

Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy

“…[ 25 , 26 ] and varies greatly across the globe. It has been reported that parents with an academic degree had superior knowledge about better oral hygiene practices than parents with only school education [ 21 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. These results are concurrent with our study where 50-65% mothers and 60–65% fathers had no university education.…”

Mothers' attitude and practices toward oral health of children under 5 years old at Al-Nasiriya city

“…The better level of KAP about oral hygiene among mothers is directly related to better oral health and less chances of dental caries among their children (Al-Jaber et al, 2021). A systemic review also reported that children of mothers with poor KAP had higher risk of dental caries (Iqbal et al, 2022).…”