The Survey On Relation Between 5-year-old Children's Primary Tooth Caries And Knowledge-behavior-attitude Of Their Parents Toward Oral Health

Objective: The purpose of this thesis is to study, via the statistical approaches in epidemiology, the relation between the 5-years-old children's primary tooth caries and knowledge-behavior-attitude of their parents toward oral health. In view of the data gathered from investigation and our analysis, the factors are demonstrated concerning with high susceptivity to the primary tooth caries. Meanwhile, effective measures can be adopted to prevent epidemic levels to such tooth caries.Methods: In accordance with actual conditions in Anhui Province and 3rd National Oral Health Survey Plan, we formulate the survey Forms on examination of the primary tooth caries of 5-year-old children, plus the questionnaires on the knowledge of their parents towards the oral health. Based on multistage, stratified, equal capacity and simple random sampling methods, we drew a sample test of 432 5-year-old children which was taken up to WHO-standard oral clinical examination including the tooth caries of coronet. These children are randomly selected from three cities and three villages. The corresponding questionnaire is simultaneously made among their parents, including the beginning age and frequency of tooth brushing, eating habits, etc. After integration of the data, we utilize the statistical analysis, including X2 test, t-test and simple/Logistic multiple regression analysis, to find out the fundamental factors on high susceptivity to the primary tooth caries. Results: I. the primary tooth caries prevalence is 65.66% and the mean of caries is 3.38. In particular, the prevalence of the civil area is 55.56% and the rural village is 75.81%, while the mean of caries is 2.35 and 4.42, respectively. The gap between them (independent of sexual differences) is essential and significant.II. The highest diseased regions are distributed on maxillary deciduous central incisor and mandibule deciduous molar.III. A simple regression analysis shows that the following factors, such as the knowledge of the parents towards the oral health, the beginning age of tooth brushing, whether or not the parents help their children tooth brushing, and the family culture background, etc., have an particular effect on the rate of tooth caries.IV. A Logistic multiple regression analysis yields that family culture-society background and economic status somehow determine the children's oral health, have an impact on setting up their behavior of oral health, and even prevent epidemic levels to the primary tooth caries.Conclusion: I. The occurrence of the primary tooth caries of 5-year-old children is still fearful and demonstrates the region characteristics and obvious gap between civil and rural areas.II. The investigation shows that the highest diseased regions are on maxillary deciduous central incisor, and then on mandibule deciduous molar. Our analysis further implies that the occurrence of the primary tooth caries are highly related, instead of to breast-feeding or using anti-caries product, to the oral health habits of the children. III. Logistic multiple regression analysis shows that family culture-society background and economic status somehow determine the children's oral health, have an impact on setting up their behavior of oral health. Parents are children's primary teachers from whom they can obtain the important oral health knowledge. In other words, the best precaution of primary tooth caries is to promote knowledge-behavior-attitude of their parents toward oral health.