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The oral health behaviours and fluid consumption practices of young urban Aboriginal preschool children in south‐western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Author(s) -
George Ajesh,
Grace Rebekah,
Elcombe Emma,
Villarosa Amy R.,
Mack Holly A.,
Kemp Lynn,
Ajwani Shilpi,
Wright Darryl C.,
Anderson Cheryl,
Bucknall Natasha,
Comino Elizabeth
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1002/hpja.29
Subject(s) - medicine , environmental health , oral health , community health , population health , consumption (sociology) , public health , demography , family medicine , population , nursing , social science , sociology
Issue addressed Australian Aboriginal children have a higher risk of dental caries yet there is limited focus on oral health risk factors for urban Aboriginal preschool children. This study examined the oral health behaviours and fluid consumption practices of young children from an urban Aboriginal community in south‐western Sydney, Australia. Methods In total, 157 Aboriginal children who were recruited to the “Gudaga” longitudinal birth cohort participated in this study. A survey design was employed and parents responded to the oral health questions when their child was between 18 and 60 months. Results Few parents (20%) were concerned about their child's oral health across the time period. By 60 months, only 20% of children had seen a dentist while 80% were brushing their teeth at least once daily. High levels of bottle use were seen up to 30 months. Consumption of sugary drinks was also very high in the early years, although this was replaced by water by 36 months. Conclusions While there are some encouraging findings, such as the rates of tooth brushing and increasing rates of water consumption, the findings do highlight the poor uptake of dental services and high levels of bottle usage among urban aboriginal children during their early years. So what? Targeted oral health promotional programs are needed in the urban Aboriginal community to better support parents understanding of good oral health practices in the early years and engagement with dental health services.