Tracking of parents' attitudes to their children's oral health-related behavior–Oslo, Norway, 2002–04

Abstract

Objectives. To investigate dental beliefs and attitudes of a diverse group of parents from their children when they were aged 3 and 5 years old and to identify possible mediators for a group composed of the parents with the most negative dental attitudes. Material and methods. Data were collected by parental questionnaire when the children were aged 3 years in 2002 and again 2 years later. The inclusion criteria were children with mothers from Norway (N group) or non-Western countries (IM₁ group). Questionnaires were extensive and had previously been used in a multicenter study. Three composite attitudinal variables relating to oral hygiene, diet and parental indulgence were calculated and an “attitudinal risk group” identified. The association between those variables and the assignment to the group was measured by odds ratio (bivariate and multiple logistic regression). Results. The N parents' dental attitudes were significantly more positive in 2004 when their children were 5 years old than when they were 3 years old (p < 0.0001), but this was not the case among immigrant parents. “Education” and “Immigrant status” [odds ratio (OR) 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–7.0; and OR 2.8, CI 1.1–7.3, respectively] were significantly associated with the defined “attitudinal risk group”. Conclusions. Only dental attitudes among N parents were significantly more positive in 2004 than in 2002. Not having higher education and being of non-Western background were associated with belonging to the “attitudinal risk group”. Culturally tailored programs of dental health education are needed to promote more positive attitudes to oral health.

Key Words::

• Child
• dental health
• health behavior
• parental dental attitudes

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by grants from the Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation (EXTRA funds). We also acknowledge the assistance of the Norwegian Association for Promotion of Oral Health (Norsk Tannvern). Furthermore, we would like to thank the Public Dental Health Services, Oslo and Professor C. Pine, University of Liverpool, UK.

Declaration of interst: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.