ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างความรอบรู้ด้านสุขภาพช่องปากของผู้ดูแล และสภาวะโรคฟันผุของเด็กก่อนวัยเรียน ในอำเภอกงไกรลาศ จังหวัดสุโขทัย

Abstract

The aims of this quantitative study were to develop a valid and reliable oral health literacy assessment test by combination of 2 Thai version assessment test by Vichayanrat et al., 2014 and Wanichsaithong, 2019 and to described the relationship between caregiver oral health literacy and dental caries status of pre-school children in Kongkrailas District, Sukhothai Province. The selfadminister questionnaires consist of 6 parts; 1. Socio-demographic information 2. Oral health knowledge 3. Functional oral health literacy ( dental caries) 4.Functional oral health literacy ( Prevention of dental caries) 5. Functional oral health literacy ( fluoride toothpaste label) 6.Communicative and Critical oral health literacy, and children’s dental caries status assessment part which examined by a dentist. The multi-stage random sampling of 364 child/caregiver dyads were recruited from child development centers and kindergartens in Kongkrailas District. All data was collected during August 2019 to October 2019 and were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, percentage and Analytical statistics. The oral health literacy test show acceptable validity ( IOC > 0. 5) but unacceptable reliability (Cronbach’s alpha < 0.7) due to the variety aspect of the choice in this test.A positive correlation was found between caregivers’ oral health literacy scores and children’s dental caries status (dmft).Oral health literacy scores varied from 6 to 41 so the oral health literacy score of 37 was used as a cut-off point to classify the caregivers’ oral health literacy as adequate (73% ) or inadequate (27% ).In this study, the social factors of caregiver that associated to oral health literacy were gender, level of education and the number of Oral health information received channels. The present result indicate that caregivers’ oral health literacy is important to their children’ s dental caries status and social factors of caregivers also associate to their oral health literacy. In order to improve caregivers’oral health literacy, dental personnel should improve their oral health communication which must be suitable to caregivers’ oral health literacy level and also sensitive to caregivers’ cultural and social background. So this issues is so challenging to dental personnel to change oral health education practice