Barua Pranamee, Kumar Prabhat, Das Bhaskar, Khan Afshan, Kalita Sampanna, Talukdar Anindita, Gupta Seema
Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Regional Dental College, Guwahati, IND.
Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Dental College Azamgarh, Azamgarh, IND.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 30;17(7):e89052. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89052. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Oral health in early childhood is critical for long-term well-being; however, parental knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) significantly influence children's oral health outcomes. This hospital-based cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the KAP of mothers regarding their children's oral health and to inform strategies for reducing the prevalence of oral diseases. The objectives were to assess maternal knowledge of oral health, attitudes toward dental check-ups and hygiene practices, oral health-related behaviors, and the impact of education and income on KAP, providing insights for targeted interventions.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry. This study targeted 300 mothers of children aged 2-6 years. The questionnaire in English, Hindi, and Assamese, validated through a pilot study (Cronbach's alpha=0.81), included three sections: knowledge (K1-K10), attitude (A1-A10), and practice (P1-P10). The scoring criteria followed a modified Likert scale, with correct responses scored as 1 and incorrect or "don't know" responses scored as 0. Statistical analyses included chi-square goodness-of-fit test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation, with a significance threshold of p<0.05.
Most mothers demonstrated strong knowledge, with 290 (97%) recognizing the importance of twice-daily brushing and 250 (83%) being aware of the caries risk in children aged two years. However, only 165 (55%) participants were aware of their correct weaning age. Attitudes were positive, with 275 (92%) valuing balanced diets and 280 (93%) seeking dental health knowledge. However, only 150 (50%) acknowledged bacterial transmission risks. The practices were robust, with 280 (93%) assisting with brushing, 280 (93%) offering plain water after feeding, and 85 (28%) pre-chewing food. Higher education and income significantly improved KAP scores (p<0.05), with education (r=0.65) and oral health education (r=0.78) strongly influencing practices.
Although maternal KAP was strong in the study, socioeconomic disparities and specific knowledge gaps highlighted the need for community-based and culturally tailored oral health programs to enhance practices and reduce childhood oral diseases.
幼儿期的口腔健康对长期幸福至关重要；然而，父母的知识、态度和行为（KAP）会显著影响儿童的口腔健康结果。这项基于医院的横断面研究旨在评估母亲们关于其子女口腔健康的KAP，并为降低口腔疾病患病率的策略提供依据。目标是评估母亲们的口腔健康知识、对牙齿检查和卫生习惯的态度、与口腔健康相关的行为，以及教育和收入对KAP的影响，为有针对性的干预措施提供见解。
这项横断面研究在儿童牙科学与预防牙科学系进行。本研究的对象是300名2至6岁儿童的母亲。通过预试验验证（克朗巴哈系数=0.81）的英文、印地语和阿萨姆语问卷包括三个部分：知识（K1-K10）、态度（A1-A10）和行为（P1-P10）。评分标准采用改良的李克特量表，正确回答得1分，错误或“不知道”回答得0分。统计分析包括卡方拟合优度检验、单因素方差分析和皮尔逊相关性分析，显著性阈值为p<0.05。
大多数母亲表现出丰富的知识，290名（97%）认识到每天刷牙两次的重要性，250名（8
