Caregiver's Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Special Needs Children, Zimbabwe.

IF 0.9 Q3 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

Special Care in Dentistry Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI:10.1111/scd.70038

Vimbai Mashanda, Saidah Tootla, Cathrine Malau

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Abstract

Introduction: Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) rely heavily on their caregivers. Therefore, caregivers must possess adequate oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) to maintain the oral health of CSHCN.

Objectives: To assess caregivers' oral health KAP toward CSHCN.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted. Data from 295 caregivers attending support group meetings in Harare Province were analyzed using STATA, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Most caregivers were aged 31-40, with cerebral palsy being the most common disability. Caregivers' oral health knowledge and practices were satisfactory, while their attitudes were good. Significant associations were found between caregivers' oral health knowledge and educational level (p = 0.001), and between oral health attitude and both educational level and employment status (p = 0.001, p = 0.003, respectively).

Conclusions: Caregivers generally had a positive attitude. However, their knowledge about oral health and their practical application of this knowledge was fair. This could be due to a lack of sufficient information or skills to effectively implement good oral health practices.

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照顾者对特殊需要儿童的口腔健康知识、态度和做法，津巴布韦。

有特殊保健需要的儿童严重依赖照顾者。因此，护理人员必须具备足够的口腔健康知识、态度和实践（KAP）来维护CSHCN的口腔健康。目的：评估护理人员对CSHCN的口腔健康KAP。方法：采用方便抽样的横断面研究方法。使用STATA分析了哈拉雷省参加支持小组会议的295名护理人员的数据，结果：大多数护理人员年龄在31-40岁之间，脑瘫是最常见的残疾。护理人员对口腔卫生知识和实践情况满意，态度良好。照顾者的口腔健康知识与受教育程度相关（p = 0.001），口腔健康态度与受教育程度和就业状况相关（p = 0.001, p = 0.003）。结论：护理人员普遍持积极态度。然而，他们关于口腔健康的知识和他们对这些知识的实际应用是公平的。这可能是由于缺乏足够的信息或技能来有效实施良好的口腔卫生习惯。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Special Care in Dentistry DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE-

CiteScore

2.40

自引率

14.30%

发文量

120

期刊介绍： Special Care in Dentistry is the official journal of the Special Care Dentistry Association, the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry. It is the only journal published in North America devoted to improving oral health in people with special needs.