| Abstract [eng] |
Relevance and aim of the work. Parents’ / guardians’ knowledge of oral health has a significant impact on their children's oral health. Children whose parents possess greater knowledge of oral health tend to have fewer decayed teeth and better dietary and oral hygiene habits. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the oral health knowledge of primary school students' parents / guardians before and after interactive training. Material and methods. A pre-post study design was employed. Before and after the training, parents / guardians completed a questionnaire that collected sociodemographic information, dietary data, oral hygiene habits, and smoking behavior. Participants also answered questions related to oral health, oral care, and nutrition. Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, McNemar test, Chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test. Results. Before the training, 451 parents / guardians participated in the study. The majority were women (n=408, 90.5%), lived in urban areas (n=295, 65.4%), belonged to the younger age group (n=321, 71.2%), and had higher education (n=307, 68.1%). Prior to the training, the average knowledge score of parents / guardians was low (mean=14.20). The level of knowledge was significantly associated with gender, education, diet, oral hygiene habits, and smoking. The best results were observed among women, individuals with higher education, those who rarely consumed sugary drinks, frequently consumed healthy products, brushed their teeth at least twice a day, used fluoride toothpaste, interdental cleaning tools, and never smoked. No statistically significant associations were found between knowledge and place of residence, age, frequency of consuming sweet products, or frequency of dental visits. After the training, 99 participants returned. Their average score statistically significantly increased from 15.90 to 18.58. Conclusions. The oral health and nutrition knowledge of parents / guardians is insufficient. After the interactive training, their knowledge significantly improved. |
