title: Oral health activities of early head start teachers directed toward children and parents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This cross-sectional study examined Early Head Start (EHS) teachers' oral health program activities and their association with teacher and program characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-completed questionnaires were distributed to the staff in all EHS programs in North Carolina. Variables for dental health activities for parents (four items) and children (four items) were constructed as the sum of responses to a 0-4 Likert-type scale (never to very frequently). Ordinary least squares regression models examined the association between teachers' oral health program activities and modifiable teacher (oral health knowledge, values, self-efficacy, dental health training, perceived barriers to dental activities) and program (director and health coordinator knowledge and perceived barriers to dental activities) characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Teachers in the parent (n=260) and child (n=231) analyses were a subset of the 485 staff respondents (98 percent response rate). Teachers engaged in child oral health activities (range = 0-16; mean = 9.0) more frequently than parent activities (range = 0-16; mean = 6.9). Teachers' oral health values, perceived oral health self-efficacy, dental training, and director and health coordinator knowledge were positively associated with oral health activities (P < 0.05). Perceived barriers were negatively associated with child activities (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of oral health activity in EHS programs is less than optimal. Several characteristics of EHS staff were identified that can be targeted with education interventions. Evidence for effectiveness of EHS interventions needs to be strengthened, but results of this survey provide encouraging findings about the potential effects of teacher training on their oral health practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. akranz@unc.edu
authors.forename: Ashley M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kranz
authors.forename: R Gary
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Rozier
authors.forename: Leslie P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Zeldin
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Preisser
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D015438:Health Behavior; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009657:North Carolina; D009909:Oral Health; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014099:Toothbrushing; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014100:Toothpastes