Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40098008›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Factors associated with oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among legal guardians of preschool children in the Peruvian capital.

Stephani Vargas-Santivañez, Marysela Ladera-Castañeda, Gissela Briceño-Vergel, Enrique Yarasca-Berrocal, Cinthia Hernández-Vergara, Jose Huamani-Echaccaya, César Cayo-Rojas

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Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Stephani Vargas-SantivañezSchool of Stomatology, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima and Ica, Peru.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9772-8529
Marysela Ladera-CastañedaSchool of Stomatology, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima and Ica, Peru.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5390-8256
Gissela Briceño-VergelSchool of Stomatology, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima and Ica, Peru.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2119-7044
Enrique Yarasca-BerrocalSchool of Stomatology, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima and Ica, Peru.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9816-2205
Cinthia Hernández-VergaraSchool of Stomatology, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima and Ica, Peru.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1205-9785
Jose Huamani-EchaccayaSchool of Stomatology, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima and Ica, Peru.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0261-2049
César Cayo-RojasSchool of Stomatology, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima and Ica, Peru. cesarcayorojas@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5560-7841

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLegal guardians frequently serve as role models for their children. The habits they instill in their children may prove effective strategies for establishing healthy oral hygiene behaviors. The present study examined the factors associated with the level of oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among legal guardians of preschool children in the Peruvian capital. Furthermore, the correlation between knowledge, attitudes, and practices in oral health was assessed.

methodsThis cross-sectional, analytical study evaluated 560 legal guardians of preschool children from 30 private educational institutions between July and December 2022. A validated 20-question questionnaire was employed to assess legal guardians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding oral health. Pearson's chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were utilized for bivariate analysis. For multivariate analysis, a Poisson regression model with robust variance was applied using the adjusted prevalence ratio (APR). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

resultsA total of 82.3%, 76.2%, and 78.4% of legal guardians showed insufficient knowledge, unfavorable attitudes, and incorrect practices in oral health, respectively. The results indicated that legal guardians with high school and non-university higher education were 5.62 and 4.17 times, respectively, more likely to have insufficient oral health knowledge than those with university higher education. The same legal guardians were 6.18 and 5.02 times more likely to have an unfavorable attitude towards oral health than those with a university education (APR = 6.18, 95% CI 2.88-13.26 and APR = 5.02, 95% CI 2.32-10.90, respectively). Furthermore, these legal guardians were 4.35 and 3.08 times more likely to have incorrect oral health practices compared to those with university education (APR = 4.35; 95% CI: 2.39-7.90, and APR = 3.08; 95% CI: 1.66-5.69, respectively). On the other hand, legal guardians with a monthly family income of less than 270 USD were 14% and 15% less likely to have unfavorable attitudes and incorrect practices, respectively, compared to those with an income of 270 USD or more (APR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.78-0.95, and APR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.77-0.93, respectively). Finally, there was a moderate direct correlation between knowledge and attitudes (Rho = 0.56, 95% CI 0.51-0.62), knowledge and practices (Rho = 0.59, 95% CI 0.53-0.65), and attitudes and practices (Rho = 0.43, 95% CI 0.36-0.50).

conclusionThe majority of legal guardians had insufficient knowledge, unfavorable attitudes, and incorrect practices in oral health. High school and non-university higher education were risk factors for poor knowledge, unfavorable attitudes, and incorrect practices. Having a monthly family income of less than 270 USD was a protective factor for unfavorable attitudes and incorrect practices. Finally, a moderate direct correlation was identified between legal guardians' oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeLegal GuardiansOral HealthOral HygieneAdultChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPeruSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultAttitudesEducational statusKnowledgeLegal guardiansOral healthPracticesSocioeconomic factor

Identifiers

PMID40098008
PMCPMC11916944

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.