THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MATERNAL LITERACY AND CHILD ORAL HEALTH: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Objective: To assess whether maternal education level predicts key child oral health behaviors and outcomes using logistic regression analysis.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving mothers of pre-school aged children across different schools in Karachi, Pakistan. Data was collected on following oral health indicators: knowledge about dental caries, brushing frequency, brushing supervision, dental visits in the past year, use of fluoride toothpaste and bedtime oral hygiene. Maternal hygiene was categorized into four levels and analyzed as an ordinal predictor. Chi-square was used to test associations and logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate predictive strength.

Results: Maternal education was significantly associated with six of seven oral health outcomes. Logistic regression analysis revealed that higher maternal education predicted higher odds of brushing supervision, dental visits, fluoride toothpaste use and bedtime oral hygiene. Brushing frequency showed a positive trend but was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: Maternal education and awareness are strong predictors of child oral health behaviors and habits. These findings indicate the need for public health interventions that incorporate maternal education and tailored oral health education to promote improvements in pediatric dental health.