Oral health beliefs and oral hygiene behaviours among parents of urban Alaska Native children

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic, oral hygiene indicators and oral health beliefs and child regular toothbrushing status

Variables				Not meeting recommendations n (%)	Meeting recommendations n (%)	OR (95% CI)	p-value
Demographics
Gender(N=98)		Female (n=80)		50 (62.5%)	30 (37.5%)	1.33 (0.47–3.75)	0.585
		Male (n=18)		10 (55.6%)	8 (44.4%)
Education level(N=97)		High school or less (n=35)		24 (68.6%)	11 (31.4%)	1.58 (0.66–3.78)	0.306
		Greater than high school (n=62)		36 (58.1%)	26 (41.9%)
Family income level (N=97)		Less than $30,000 a year (n=41)		25 (61.0%)	16 (39.0%)	1.01 (0.44–2.31)	0.979
		More than $30,000 a year (n=56)		34 (60.7%)	22 (39.3%)
Race (N=96)		AI/AN (n=82)		49 (59.8%)	33 (40.2%)	0.60 (0.17–2.05)	0.407
		Non-AI/AN (n=14)		10 (71.4%)	4 (28.6%)
Oral health behaviour
Parent regular toothbrushing*		Not meeting recommendations (n=51)		47 (92.2%)	4 (7.8%)	31.64 (9.50–105.35)	<0.001
(N=99)		Meeting recommendations (n=48)		13 (27.1%)	35 (72.9%)
ECC status(N=99)		No (n=43)Yes (n=56)		29 (67.4%)32 (57.1%)	14 (32.6%)24 (42.9%)	1.55 (0.68–3.56)	0.296
Oral Health Beliefs
Value of dental health		Disagree (n=13)		10 (76.9%)	3 (23.1%)	2.35 (0.61–9.16)	0.207
(N=99)		Agree (n=87)		51 (58.6%)	36 (41.4%)
Importance of dental health*		Disagree (n=11)		10 (90.9%)	1 (9.1%)	7.45 (0.91-60.73)	0.031
(N=100)		Agree (n=89)		51 (57.3%)	38 (42.7%)
Fear of dental pain		Disagree (n=50)		31 (62.0%)	19 (38.0%)	1.09 (0.49–2.43)	0.838
(N=99)		Agree (n=49)		30 (60.0%)	20 (40.0%)
Availability of dentists		Disagree (n=16)		13 (81.2%)	3 (18.8%)	3.25 (0.86-12.26)	0.070
(N=100)		Agree (n=84)		48 (57.1%)	36 (42.9%)
Extension of health problems		Disagree (n=4)		3 (75.0%)	1 (25.0%)	1.97 (0.20-19.60)	0.558
(N= 100)		Agree (n=96)		58 (60.4%)	38 (39.6%)
Daily affects		Disagree (n=4)		3 (75.0%)	1 (25.0%)	2.00 (0.20-19.95)	0.548
(N=99)		Agree (n=95)		57 (60.0%)	38 (40.0%)
Protective fluoride toothpaste		Disagree (n=17)		11 (64.7%)	6 (35.3%)	1.21 (0.41–3.59)	0.731
(N= 100)		Agree (n=83)		50 (60.2%)	33 (39.8%)
Impact of diet		Disagree (n=12)		10 (83.3%)	2 (16.7%)	3.78 (0.78-18.28)	0.081
(N=98)		Agree (n=89)		49 (57.0%)	37 (43.0%)
Fluoride harm		Disagree (n=38)		19 (50.0%)	19 (50.0%)	0.48 (0.21–1.10)	0.080
(N=97)		Agree (n= 59)		40 (67.8%)	19 (32.2%)

*p<0.05.

Table 2. Binary logistic regression models for the association of oral health beliefs with child oral hygiene status (N=86)

Oral health beliefs	Estimate	Standard error	p-value	OR (95% CI)
Value of dental health^a	0.417	1.006	0.679	0.66 (0.01–2.06)
Importance of dental health^a*	−3.13	1.388	0.024	22.87 (0.09–4.74)
Fear of dental pain^a	0.484	0.530	0.361	0.62 (0.22–1.74)
Availability of dentists^a	−0.201	0.680	0.767	1.22 (0.32–4.64)
Extension of health problems^a	−0.476	1.320	0.718	1.61 (0.12–21.39)
Daily affects^a	0.308	1.805	0.864	0.73 (0.002–25.28)
Protective fluoride toothpaste^a	−1.697	0.964	0.078	5.46 (0.83–36.09)
Impact of diet^a	−0.594	0.876	0.498	1.81 (0.32–10.09)
Fluoride harm^a*	1.83	0.751	0.015	0.16 (0.04–0.70)

^aAdjusted for covariates of parent gender, race, income and education.

*p<0.05.