Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oral Health Behaviors Among Children in Iran

IF 1.7 Q3 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

Clinical and Experimental Dental Research Pub Date : 2024-11-11 DOI:10.1002/cre2.70010

Mahtab Memarpour, Faranak Razmjouei, Fatemesadat Fayazi, Azade Rafiee, Mehrdad Vossoughi

{"title":"Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oral Health Behaviors Among Children in Iran","authors":"Mahtab Memarpour, Faranak Razmjouei, Fatemesadat Fayazi, Azade Rafiee, Mehrdad Vossoughi","doi":"10.1002/cre2.70010","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Objectives</h3>\n \n <p>Parents are responsible for their children's oral health. This study evaluated parents' knowledge, attitudes, and performance on their children's oral health before and after an educational intervention and the impact of COVID-19 on these variables.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Material and Methods</h3>\n \n <p>This quasi-experimental study included 227 children aged 6–8 years who were referred to 11 Shiraz medical centers from July to December 2021. Data were collected from questionnaires and interviews. After completing the questionnaire, oral health education was provided immediately and then monthly thereafter using dental models and pamphlets. After 3 months, a questionnaire assessed the education's effectiveness. Data were analyzed using independent <i>t</i>-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired <i>t</i>-tests, and Pearson's correlation.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>A total of 163 participants (71.80%) completed all phases, including the second questionnaire. Participants showed moderate knowledge (77.30%), attitude (89.00%), and performance (80.40%). Neither knowledge nor attitude before the intervention had a significant association with demographic characteristics. Parents' education, number of children, and maternal employment were significantly associated with performance (<i>p</i> = 0.002, <i>p</i> = 0.040, <i>p</i> < 0.001, respectively). The intervention significantly enhanced these variables (<i>p</i> < 0.001). In terms of COVID-19, 72.40% of participants expressed good knowledge about transmission, 52.80% showed moderate concern, and 54% had poor performance. Parental knowledge, attitude, and performance changed significantly following the intervention (<i>p</i> = 0.030, <i>p</i> < 0.001, <i>p</i> < 0.001, respectively).</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>Educational intervention significantly improved parents' knowledge, attitudes, and performance toward children's oral health. Because of the poor performance of parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend the implementation of continuing education and preventive oral health programs.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":10203,"journal":{"name":"Clinical and Experimental Dental Research","volume":"10 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11551591/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Clinical and Experimental Dental Research","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cre2.70010","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

Parents are responsible for their children's oral health. This study evaluated parents' knowledge, attitudes, and performance on their children's oral health before and after an educational intervention and the impact of COVID-19 on these variables.

Material and Methods

This quasi-experimental study included 227 children aged 6–8 years who were referred to 11 Shiraz medical centers from July to December 2021. Data were collected from questionnaires and interviews. After completing the questionnaire, oral health education was provided immediately and then monthly thereafter using dental models and pamphlets. After 3 months, a questionnaire assessed the education's effectiveness. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired t-tests, and Pearson's correlation.

Results

A total of 163 participants (71.80%) completed all phases, including the second questionnaire. Participants showed moderate knowledge (77.30%), attitude (89.00%), and performance (80.40%). Neither knowledge nor attitude before the intervention had a significant association with demographic characteristics. Parents' education, number of children, and maternal employment were significantly associated with performance (p = 0.002, p = 0.040, p < 0.001, respectively). The intervention significantly enhanced these variables (p < 0.001). In terms of COVID-19, 72.40% of participants expressed good knowledge about transmission, 52.80% showed moderate concern, and 54% had poor performance. Parental knowledge, attitude, and performance changed significantly following the intervention (p = 0.030, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

Educational intervention significantly improved parents' knowledge, attitudes, and performance toward children's oral health. Because of the poor performance of parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend the implementation of continuing education and preventive oral health programs.

查看原文本刊更多论文

COVID-19 大流行对伊朗儿童口腔健康行为的影响。

目标：父母对子女的口腔健康负有责任。本研究评估了教育干预前后家长对子女口腔健康的知识、态度和表现，以及 COVID-19 对这些变量的影响：这项准实验研究包括 2021 年 7 月至 12 月期间转诊至设拉子 11 家医疗中心的 227 名 6-8 岁儿童。数据通过问卷和访谈收集。填写问卷后，立即进行口腔健康教育，之后每月使用牙科模型和小册子进行口腔健康教育。3 个月后，对教育效果进行问卷评估。数据分析采用独立 t 检验、单因素方差分析（ANOVA）、配对 t 检验和皮尔逊相关分析：共有 163 名参与者（71.80%）完成了包括第二次问卷调查在内的所有阶段。参与者的知识（77.30%）、态度（89.00%）和表现（80.40%）均处于中等水平。干预前的知识和态度与人口统计学特征均无明显关联。父母的教育程度、子女数量和母亲的就业情况与表现有明显的相关性（P = 0.002，P = 0.040，P 结论：父母的教育程度、子女数量和母亲的就业情况与表现有明显的相关性（P = 0.002，P = 0.040）：教育干预明显改善了家长对儿童口腔健康的认识、态度和表现。由于在 COVID-19 大流行期间家长的表现不佳，我们建议实施持续教育和预防性口腔健康计划。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Clinical and Experimental Dental Research DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE-

CiteScore

3.30

自引率

5.60%

发文量

165

审稿时长

26 weeks

期刊介绍： Clinical and Experimental Dental Research aims to provide open access peer-reviewed publications of high scientific quality representing original clinical, diagnostic or experimental work within all disciplines and fields of oral medicine and dentistry. The scope of Clinical and Experimental Dental Research comprises original research material on the anatomy, physiology and pathology of oro-facial, oro-pharyngeal and maxillofacial tissues, and functions and dysfunctions within the stomatognathic system, and the epidemiology, aetiology, prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of diseases and conditions that have an effect on the homeostasis of the mouth, jaws, and closely associated structures, as well as the healing and regeneration and the clinical aspects of replacement of hard and soft tissues with biomaterials, and the rehabilitation of stomatognathic functions. Studies that bring new knowledge on how to advance health on the individual or public health levels, including interactions between oral and general health and ill-health are welcome.