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Caries conditions among 2–5‐year‐ old immigrant Latino children related to parents' oral health knowledge, opinions and practices
Author(s) -
Watson MariaRosa,
Horowitz Alice M.,
Garcia Isabel,
Canto Maria T.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1999.tb01986.x
Subject(s) - medicine , residence , socioeconomic status , logistic regression , immigration , family medicine , population , oral health , demography , ethnic group , early childhood caries , odds , environmental health , archaeology , sociology , anthropology , history
– Objectives : To collect baseline data prior to initiating a community‐based, oral health promotion program in an inner city Latino community in Washington DC, populated by Central American immigrants. Methods: In 1995, an oral survey of a convenience sample of children 2–5 years of age ( n = 142) and a survey of the knowledge, opinions and practices (KOP) of their parents ( n = 121) were completed. Clinical data of children were matched with parent respondents of the KOP survey. Data were analyzed for statistical associations using univariate odds ratios, Fisher's exact tests, and multiple logistic regression. Results: Only 53% of the children were caries free. Eighteen percent of all children were in need of immediate dental care and 26% were in need of early or non‐urgent dental care. Only 7% of the parents knew the purpose of sealants and 52% knew the purpose of fluorides. Further, only 9% thought that brushing with toothpaste can prevent tooth decay. The strongest predictors of dental caries in this population, after adjusting for child's age and mother's education, were recency of mother's residence in the United States and report of an uncooperative child when attempting toothbrushing. Conclusions: Regimens of caries prevention have been successful in reducing dental decay for a large segment of the US population, yet this disease remains prevalent especially among low socioeconomic groups. The oral health status of the children and the oral health KOP of the parents in this community are disturbingly deficient.