Association between snack parenting style and dental caries status of children aged 7-8 years: a sequential mixed method approach.

PURPOSE: Literature search shows that there is less evidence of the association between snack parenting styles and dental caries. This study aimed to assess the snack parenting style of mothers of children aged 7-8 years and its association with the dental caries status of their children.

METHODS

This study used a sequential mixed-method approach. In the quantitative phase, the Parenting around SNAcking Questionnaire (P-SNAQ) was used to assess the snack parenting style of mothers. DMFT/deft indices were used to record the dental caries status of their children. In the qualitative phase, in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted. Through a thematic approach, codes and themes were derived.

RESULTS

A total of 600 mother-child pairs participated. Autonomy support was the most common type of snack parenting style (n = 283). There was no significant association between snack parenting style and children's dental caries status. Five themes were derived: (1) Scenarios of snacking; (2) Parental factors affecting snacking; (3) Snack intake influencers; (4) Unhealthy strands; (5) Healthy alternatives.

CONCLUSION

Snack parenting styles did not influence the dental caries status of children. Those who had snack regulations at home or school were more likely to prefer healthy snacks. Mothers expressed the need for branded healthy snacks.