Oral Health Literacy among Caregivers in Bangalore City, India

  • Deepa Prakash
  • Archana Krishna Murthy
  • Arun Paul
  • Khundrakpam Eremba
  • Gaurav Gupta
  • Prijitha Alex
Keywords: Oral Health Literacy, Caregivers, Health Information, Oral Health

Abstract

Purpose: To assess caregiver’s oral health literacy of children aged 3-6 years in Bangalore city.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 635 child/caregiver dyads from a sample of children aged 3-6 years who were selected from anganwadis and preschools in Bangalore city. Demographic details were collected using structured questionnaire. Caregiver literacy was measured using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30).

Results: Among 635 child/caregiver dyads, caregiver’s and children’s mean ages were 33.45 years(SD = 3.36) and 5.28 years (SD =0.67), respectively. The mean literacy score was 14.25 (SD= 7.67). The results also indicated that there was an association between socio-demographic variables such as age, education, income, occupation, socioeconomic status and caregivers’ oral health literacy.

Conclusion: Caregiver’s oral health literacy is influenced by sociodemographic factors. Oral health literacy is potential determinant and as impact on oral health outcomes in young children.

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Author Biographies

Deepa Prakash

Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, The Oxford Dental College, Bangalore

Archana Krishna Murthy

Professor and HOD, Department of Public Health Dentistry, The Oxford Dental College, Bangalore

Arun Paul

Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, KMCT Dental College, Kerala

Khundrakpam Eremba

Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, JNIMS Dental College, Imphal, Manipur

Gaurav Gupta

Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, RKDF Dental College and Research Centre, Bhopal

Prijitha Alex

Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, EDUCARE Dental College, Kerala

CITATION
DOI: 10.26440/IHRJ/0303.06243
Published: 2019-06-20
How to Cite
1.
Deepa Prakash, Archana Krishna Murthy, Arun Paul, Khundrakpam Eremba, Gaurav Gupta, Prijitha Alex. Oral Health Literacy among Caregivers in Bangalore City, India. IHRJ [Internet]. 2019Jun.20 [cited 2024Mar.29];3(3):116-22. Available from: https://ihrjournal.com/ihrj/article/view/244
Section
Original Research(s)