Oral Health Knowledge, Practices, and Awareness of Oral Health Guidelines and Dental Coverage Policies among Midwives

This study assessed self-reported oral health status, knowledge, and behaviours of people living with diabetes along with barriers and facilitators in accessing dental care. A cross sectional survey of 260 patients from four public diabetes clinics in Sydney, Australia was undertaken using a 35-item questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS software with descriptive and logistic regression analyses. More than half (53.1%) of respondents reported having dental problems which negatively impacted their related quality of life. Less than half (45%) had adequate oral health knowledge. Only 10.8% reported receiving any oral health information in diabetes care settings, which had higher odds of demonstrating adequate oral health knowledge (AOR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.06–6.34). Similarly, 62.7% reported seeing a dentist in the last 12 months. Having private health insurance (AOR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.85–7.40) had higher odds of seeing a dentist in the past 12 months. Dental costs were a major contributor to avoiding or delaying dental visit. Patients living with diabetes have unmet oral health needs particularly around the awareness of its importance and access to affordable dental services. Diabetes care providers can play a crucial role in this area by promoting oral health to their patients.

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Influence of Parental Health Literacy on Change over Time in the Oral Health of American Indian Children

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115633 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5633

Author(s):

Angela G. Brega ◽

Rachel L. Johnson ◽

Luohua Jiang ◽

Anne R. Wilson ◽

Sarah J. Schmiege ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Health Literacy ◽

American Indian ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

Indian Children ◽

Change Over Time ◽

Oral Health Knowledge ◽

Pediatric Oral Health ◽

Children’S Oral Health ◽

Over Time

In cross-sectional studies, parental health literacy (HL) is associated with children’s oral health. It is unclear, however, whether HL influences pediatric outcomes. We examined the relationship of HL with change over time in parental oral health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors, as well as pediatric oral health outcomes. We used longitudinal data from a study designed to reduce dental decay in American Indian children (N = 579). At baseline and annually for three years, parents answered questions assessing HL; oral health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors; and pediatric oral health status. The number of decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces (dmfs) was computed based on annual dental evaluations. Linear mixed models showed that HL was significantly associated with all constructs, except dmfs, at their reference time points and persistently across the three-year study period. HL predicted change over time in only one variable, parents’ belief that children’s oral health is determined by chance or luck. HL is strongly associated with oral health knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, and status prospectively but is not a key driver of change over time in these oral health constructs.

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Pathways Through Which Health Literacy Is Linked to Parental Oral Health Behavior in an American Indian Tribe

Annals of Behavioral Medicine ◽

10.1093/abm/kaab006 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Angela G Brega ◽

Rachel L Johnson ◽

Sarah J Schmiege ◽

Anne R Wilson ◽

Luohua Jiang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

Perceived Barriers ◽

Oral Health Behavior ◽

Oral Health Knowledge ◽

Knowledge And Beliefs ◽

And Behavior ◽

Efficacy Estimate

Abstract Background Health literacy (HL) is the “ability to find, understand, evaluate and put information to use to improve decision making and, ultimately, improve health and quality of life.” Parents with limited HL are less likely to follow recommended parental oral health behaviors. Purpose We tested a theoretical framework designed to clarify mechanisms through which HL may influence parental oral health behavior. The framework proposed that HL: (a) has a direct effect on parental oral health knowledge, beliefs (i.e. self-efficacy; perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers), and behavior; (b) influences beliefs indirectly through knowledge; and (c) influences behavior indirectly through knowledge and beliefs. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from a randomized controlled trial designed to reduce dental decay in American Indian children (N = 521). Parents completed survey questions assessing sociodemographic characteristics, HL, and parental oral health knowledge, beliefs, and behavior. Path analysis was used to test the framework. Results HL exerted significant direct effects on knowledge and beliefs but not behavior. HL had significant indirect effects on all beliefs through knowledge. Significant indirect effects of HL on behavior occurred through self-efficacy (estimate: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.42, 1.83, p = .005), perceived barriers (estimate: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.29, 1.43, p = .010), knowledge to self-efficacy (estimate: 0.57, 95% CI: .31, 0.98, p = .001), and knowledge to perceived barriers (estimate: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.47, p = .012). Conclusions HL exerted an indirect effect on parental oral health behavior, with knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers being the primary constructs linking HL to behavior.

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