Parental Oral Health Attitudes and Knowledge and Their High Caries Risk Infants' Oral Health Conditions.

IF 2 Q2 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

JDR Clinical & Translational Research Pub Date : 2026-07-18 DOI:10.1177/23800844261454269

B W Luo, G H M Lee, P Liu, H M Wong, E C M Lo, M C M Wong

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Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine, among 1-y-old Hong Kong infants at high caries risk, how parental oral health attitudes and knowledge were associated with sociodemographic factors and their caring behaviors, as well as how these behaviors and sociodemographic factors were associated with infant oral health conditions.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial on infants aged 1 y with high caries risk in Hong Kong was conducted. A self-completed structured questionnaire collected family sociodemographic background, parental oral health attitudes and knowledge, and infants' oral health practices. The infants received an oral examination to assess dental caries and oral hygiene.

Results: There were 579 parent-infant dyads. The infants' caries experience was 1.04%. Their oral health-related behaviors were unfavorable. Almost all infants (99.5%) had not been to the dentist. Parents had positive attitudes toward oral health, but their knowledge was inadequate. More positive parental oral health attitudes and greater knowledge were found among mothers, parents with higher education and income, prior oral health education, and those who cleaned or brushed their infants' teeth. Higher household income and toothbrushing with toothpaste were associated with lower plaque level, whereas sleeping with a milk bottle was associated with higher caries.

Conclusions: Parents' understanding of and attitudes toward oral health are related to their sociodemographic background. Parents with more positive attitudes and better knowledge tend to exhibit more favorable behaviors for caring for their infants' teeth. In addition, a family's socioeconomic status and parental care practices are associated with the infant's oral health.Knowledge Transfer Statement:The results of this study can be used by dental clinicians when providing oral health instructions to parents who bring their infants to their first dental visit. Based on the different sociodemographic backgrounds and oral health practices of parent-infant dyads, the instructions could vary.

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父母口腔健康态度、知识与高龋儿口腔健康状况的关系

目的：本研究旨在探讨1岁香港高龋风险婴儿的父母口腔健康态度和知识与社会人口因素及其护理行为的关系，以及这些行为和社会人口因素与婴儿口腔健康状况的关系。方法：对香港一项1岁高龋风险婴儿随机对照试验的基线数据进行横断面分析。一份自我完成的结构化问卷收集了家庭社会人口背景、父母口腔卫生态度和知识以及婴儿口腔卫生实践。这些婴儿接受了口腔检查，以评估龋齿和口腔卫生。结果：共579对亲子对。婴儿龋齿发生率为1.04%。他们的口腔健康行为是不利的。几乎所有的婴儿（99.5%）没有看过牙医。家长对口腔健康的态度是积极的，但他们的知识不足。母亲、受过高等教育和收入的父母、以前接受过口腔健康教育的父母以及为婴儿清洁或刷牙的父母对口腔健康的态度更积极，对口腔健康的了解也更多。较高的家庭收入和用牙膏刷牙与较低的牙菌斑水平有关，而与奶瓶一起睡觉与较高的龋齿有关。结论：家长对口腔健康的认识和态度与其社会人口学背景有关。父母的态度越积极，知识越丰富，对幼儿牙齿的护理行为也越有利。此外，家庭的社会经济地位和父母的护理做法与婴儿的口腔健康有关。知识转移声明：本研究的结果可用于牙科临床医生提供口腔健康指导时，父母带着他们的婴儿第一次看牙医。根据不同的社会人口背景和父母-婴儿的口腔健康实践，说明可能有所不同。

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

JDR Clinical & Translational Research DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE-

CiteScore

6.20

自引率

6.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： JDR Clinical & Translational Research seeks to publish the highest quality research articles on clinical and translational research including all of the dental specialties and implantology. Examples include behavioral sciences, cariology, oral & pharyngeal cancer, disease diagnostics, evidence based health care delivery, human genetics, health services research, periodontal diseases, oral medicine, radiology, and pathology. The JDR Clinical & Translational Research expands on its research content by including high-impact health care and global oral health policy statements and systematic reviews of clinical concepts affecting clinical practice. Unique to the JDR Clinical & Translational Research are advances in clinical and translational medicine articles created to focus on research with an immediate potential to affect clinical therapy outcomes.