Factors Associated With Parental Oral Health Literacy in a Clinical Sample of Turkish Preschool Children.

BACKGROUND

Parental oral health literacy (OHL) is a key determinant of early childhood oral health, yet its relationship with both subjective perceptions and clinical outcomes has not yet been fully elucidated.

AIM: To assess the factors associated with parental OHL of Turkish preschool children, and to explore its relationships with socio-demographic variables, children's oral health behaviors, parental self-ratings of children's oral health, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), clinical outcomes, and parental psychological factors.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional study included 204 healthy children aged 3-5.99 years and their parents. OHL, OHRQoL, and psychosocial variables were assessed; clinical status was evaluated via dmft and gingival index.

RESULTS

Higher OHL was significantly associated with university education (p = 0.008), stronger family sense of coherence (p = 0.002), and confidence in completing hospital forms (p = 0.048). Larger household size (p = 0.009) and higher gingival index scores (p = 0.042) were negatively associated with OHL. These variables collectively explained 22.9% of the variance in OHL (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Parental OHL is associated with educational, psychosocial, and clinical factors. These findings highlight the importance of promoting parental literacy levels through comprehensive oral health interventions.