Relationship among Maternal Sociodemographics, Oral Health Behavior, and the Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries

Kang, Boo Wol; Ahn, Eunsuk; Kim, Min Young

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of maternal socioeconomic status, maternal oral health behaviors, and oral health behaviors of children, on the prevalence of early childhood caries in children aged 5 years. The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data collected between 2007 and 2014 were applied to this study, and the study sample included 824 children who received oral examinations and participated in the health behavior survey. The factor that affected the prevalence of early childhood caries were confirmed by maternal and child factors. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The mothers' age, income level, and job status affected the prevalence of early childhood caries. There was a significant difference in the analysis considering the factors of motherhood and children in the prevalence of early childhood caries according to mother's age, education level, income level, and the child's oral examination. The prevalence of early childhood caries was higher in children who received oral examinations than in those who did not. When the mother's educational level was higher than college education, it was found that the index of child, i.e., there was a difference in the prevalence of early childhood caries according to the mother's educational and income levels. These results indicate that maternal socioeconomic characteristics are correlated with the oral health of children. Therefore, oral health education programs that include mothers for the prevention of early dental caries in children may improve the dental health of children. In addition, specific oral health policies are necessary to address the differences in the oral health between the income groups.