Associations Between Maternal Emotional States and Plaque Accumulation in Three-Year-Old Children: A Proxy Indicator of Caregiving Quality.

Background Plaque accumulation can lead to dental caries and periodontal disease and may reflect overall oral health status. As mothers are often the primary caregivers for children's oral hygiene, plaque in children may also serve as a proxy for caregiving quality. This study examined whether maternal emotional states are associated with the quality of caregiving, using children's plaque accumulation as a proxy indicator. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 150 mothers of three-year-old children who had received dental checkups within the past year. The presence or absence of plaque was assessed by a dentist. Maternal emotions-burden, anxiety, and positive emotion-were measured using the Parenting Affect Scale. Multiple logistic regression analysis examined associations between maternal emotions and plaque presence, adjusting for parental oral health behaviors. Results The results showed that low maternal positive emotion (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60-0.96) and low burden (adjusted OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84-0.99) were associated with increased plaque accumulation. Conclusion These findings suggest that both low positive emotion and low perceived burden may indicate reduced emotional engagement in caregiving, potentially affecting care quality. Enhancing mothers' emotional investment in parenting may improve consistency in daily caregiving practices related to child health.