ORAL HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE FRAMEWORK IN PRESCHOOLERS: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

BACKGROUND: Pre-school children have diffi culty maintaining oral health. Studies show that preschoolers’ dental and oral health depends on the attitudes and behavior of their parents towards dental and oral health. This systematic review aims to identify and analyze the framework through the Health Belief Model (HBM) approach and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) for behavioral changes to maintain oral health in pre-school children. METHOD: This systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. The literature search was carried out on the ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Proquest, Pubmed, and Wiley Online Library databases, with a publication period between 2010 and 2021. RESULTS: All studies (n = 10) were conducted on preschooler oral-health and focused on parents’ involvement. Five studies used theory of planned behavior framework, and fi ve studies remaining used the health belief model. All studies confi rmed a prominent means in preschoolers oral-health rely on the knowledge, attitude, practice, and beliefs of parents. CONCLUSIONS: Both the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior can help improve behavior change in pre-school children in maintaining oral health.