The dental attitudes, knowledge and health practices of patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the dental attitudes, knowledge and dental health practices of children and adults with a previous diagnosis of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).


METHODS
A self-completion questionnaire.


METHODS
Ninety-one children and 82 adults with JIA were age and gender matched with 152 healthy controls. For those below the age of 16 years, the parents' attitude, knowledge and dental health practices were investigated by the questionnaire. The adult subjects and controls completed an identical questionnaire assessing their own attitude, knowledge and dental health practices.


RESULTS
Response rates of 84% and 75% were achieved for the subject and controls respectively. Both groups responded similarly to questions assessing perception of different medical conditions. The majority of respondents thought leukaemia was a very serious condition. Twenty-seven percent of subjects and 34% of controls felt dental decay was "slightly or not serious". Ninety percent of subjects and 93% of controls knew having sweet snacks during the day would harm teeth, but fewer were sure that eating sweet foods at mealtimes only would help reduce decay. The majority of respondents (63% and 56% respectively) did not know whether children should receive fluoride tablets but the majority of subjects in both groups had attended a dentist within the last year.


METHODS
Descriptive analyses and chi-squared analysis were undertaken. A p-value of < or =0.01 was taken as strong evidence of a difference between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The perception of health and illness by both groups was appropriate. The questions investigating dental knowledge revealed understanding of the basic messages of prevention of dental disease, but finer detail appeared less well understood. Responses concerning dental health confirmed positive attitudes towards good dental health habits. The benefits of brushing with fluoride toothpaste were known, and the majority toothbrushed daily and received dental care within the previous year.
Waterhouse
P J
PJ
School of Dental Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. p.j.waterhouse@ncl.ac.uk
Thomason
J M
JM
Fitzgerald
J F
JF
Foster
H E
HE
Steen
I N
IN
Welbury
R R
RR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000523:psychology; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000009:adverse effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D014099:Toothbrushing; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides