Aim: The aim of this project was to find the level of oral health literacy of parents of preschool
age children regarding their child’s oral health. The primary objective was to improve
the oral health status of preschoolers and to prevent early childhood caries.
Methods: 117 participants (parents of preschoolers) completed a self-administered oral health
literacy questionnaire. Data obtained from the study was analysed using a statistical package
(SPSS). Firstly, descriptive analysis was undertaken generating tables and graphs of sociodemographic
variables. Later, associations between oral health literacy and sociodemographic
variables were identified and also relation between parents’ oral health literacy
and their attitude towards water fluoridation in Christchurch was identified using bivariate
and multivariate analysis. Psychometric analysis was generated to test validity and reliability
of the oral health literacy questionnaire.
Results: In the total sample, 38% of participants had poor oral health literacy regarding their
child’s oral health. The results also indicated that there were associations present between
parents’ oral health literacy and socio-demographic variables such as ethnicity, education and
family income. Nearly half of the parents opted for water fluoridation in Christchurch. A
strong association between parents’ oral health literacy and their attitude towards water
fluoridation was identified. In the total sample, 40% of parents were not aware of need for
first dental visit before the school age. Reliability was good for the developed oral health
literacy instrument.
Conclusions: This study of parents’ oral health literacy in Christchurch, New Zealand
identified association of oral health literacy and socio-demographic variables which gives
future guidance to improving oral health status of New Zealand children. The relation
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between parents’ oral health literacy and their attitude towards water fluoridation was shown
in this study. This result might be used in future water fluoridation surveys. Future studies are
needed to examine health care provider’s perspective in improving parents’ oral health
literacy and to tailor more effective public health interventions to improve parents’ oral health
literacy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:canterbury.ac.nz/oai:ir.canterbury.ac.nz:10092/5116 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Veerasamy, Arthi |
| Publisher | University of Canterbury. Health Sciences |
| Source Sets | University of Canterbury |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic thesis or dissertation, Text |
| Rights | Copyright Arthi Veerasamy, http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/thesis/etheses_copyright.shtml |
| Relation | NZCU |
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