title: Association between knowledge of caries preventive practices, preventive oral health habits of parents and children and caries experience in children resident in sub-urban Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objectives of this study were to assess the association between children and parents' knowledge of caries preventive practices, the parents' caries preventive oral health behaviours and children's caries preventive oral health behaviour and caries experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and twenty four participants aged 8-12 years, 308 fathers and 318 mothers were recruited through a household survey conducted in Suburban Nigeria. A questionnaire was administered to generate information on fathers, mothers and children's knowledge of caries prevention measures and their oral health behaviour. Clinical examination was conducted on the children to determine their dmft/DMFT. Analysis was conducted to determine the predictors of the children's good oral health behaviour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mothers' oral health behaviours were significant predictors of the children's oral health behaviours. Children who had good knowledge of caries prevention measures had significant increased odds of brushing their teeth twice daily or more. The children's caries prevalence was 13.9%, the mean dmft was 0.2 and the mean DMFT was 0.09. None of the dependent variables could predict the presence of caries in children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study highlights the effect of maternal oral health behaviour on the oral health behaviour of children aged 8 years to 12 years in suburban Nigeria. A pilot study is needed to evaluate how enhanced maternal preventive oral health practices can improve the oral health preventive practices of children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. toyinukpong@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Morenike O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Folayan
authors.forename: Kikelomo A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kolawole
authors.forename: Titus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oyedele
authors.forename: Nneka M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Chukwumah
authors.forename: Nneka M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Chukumah
authors.forename: Nneka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onyejaka
authors.forename: Hakeem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agbaje
authors.forename: Elizabeth O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Oziegbe
authors.forename: Olusegun V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Oshomoji
authors.forename: Olusegun V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Osho
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002326:Cariogenic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005457:Fluoridation; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009549:Nigeria; D010290:Parents; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018881:Suburban Health; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology; D014099:Toothbrushing; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002326:Cariogenic Agents; D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides