title: Familial and cultural perceptions and beliefs of oral hygiene and dietary practices among ethnically and socio-economicall diverse groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE; The aim of this international study was to develop a valid and reliable psychometric measure to examine the extent to which parents' attitudes about engaging in twice-daily tooth brushing and controlling sugar snacking predict these respective behaviours in their children. A supplementary objective was to assess whether ethnic group, culture, level of deprivation or children's caries experience impact upon the relationships between oral health related behaviours, attitudes to these respective behaviours and to dental caries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nurseries, health centres and dental clinics in 17 countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  2822 children aged 3 to 4 years and their parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dental examination of children and questionnaire to parents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factor analysis identified 8 coherent attitudes towards toothbrushing, sugar snacking and childhood caries. Attitudes were significantly different in families from deprived and non-deprived backgrounds and in families of children with and without caries. Parents perception of their ability to control their children's toothbrushing and sugar snacking habits were the most significant predictor of whether or not favourable habits were reported. Some differences were found by site and ethnic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the hypothesis that parental attitudes significantly impact on the establishment of habits favourable to oral health. An appreciation of the impact of cultural and ethnic diversity is important in understanding how parental attitudes to oral health vary. Further research should examine in a prospective intervention whether enhancing parenting skills is an effective route to preventing childhood caries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, The Royal Hospitals, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Pauline M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pine
authors.forename: Girvan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnside
authors.forename: Alison D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Nicoll
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gillett
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Broukal
authors.forename: Ivor G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Chestnutt
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Declerck
authors.forename: Feng Xi
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grant-Mills
authors.forename: Tshepo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gugushe
authors.forename: Jaranya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hunsrisakhun
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irigoyen-Camacho
authors.forename: Edward C M
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Mohamed Hanif
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Moola
authors.forename: Sudeshni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.forename: Ursuline
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nyandindi
authors.forename: Vibeke Juul
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ramos-Gomez
authors.forename: Noëline
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Razanamihaja
authors.forename: Swarngit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahid
authors.forename: Marit Slåttelid
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Skeie
authors.forename: O Patricia
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Skur
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Splieth
authors.forename: Teo Choo
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Soo
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whelton
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003467:Cultural Deprivation; D003469:Culture; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005006:Ethnicity; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose