title: Dental health behavior in fathers of young families in Finland.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine dental health behavior in young fathers by means of a questionnaire for subjective evaluation of dental status, frequency of caries and visits to the dentist. Cariogenic diet was estimated by the consumption of sweets, confectionary and soft drinks. The participation rate 18 months after the birth of the family's first child was 73.1%. The mean age of the respondents was 28.1 yr (range 17-49; SD 4.6). When background factors were considered, it was observed that cariogenic diet was more often mentioned by participants from the lower social groups. The standard of the wife's knowledge level was an important indicator of dental care behavior in the fathers. If the wife's knowledge level was high, the father assessed the future condition of his child's teeth as good.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hyssälä
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oikarinen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rautava
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paunio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sillanpää
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D004522:Educational Status; D005190:Family; D005220:Fathers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D009909:Oral Health; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors