Immigrant Parents’ Perceived Social Support and Their Children’s Oral Health Behaviors and Caries Experience

Rana Dahlan, Babak Bohlouli, Humam Saltaji, Ida Kornerup, Bukola Salami and Maryam Amin
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Rana Dahlan: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
Babak Bohlouli: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
Humam Saltaji: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
Ida Kornerup: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
Bukola Salami: Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
Maryam Amin: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-12

Abstract: This study examined the associations between immigrant parents’ perceived social support (PSS) and their children’s oral health behaviors (OHB) and caries experience. We recruited immigrant parents and children aged 2–12 years. Data were collected on the sociodemographic and OHB information of the children. The parents’ total PSS score and its dimensions were measured using the validated Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ2000). Dental examinations determined the children’s caries experience using the DMFT/dmft index. A total of 336 parents and children were included in the study. Household income predicted the parents’ PSS (B = −5.69; 95% CI −9.077, −2.32). Children of parents with higher PSS reported ≥2 toothbrushing/day ( p ≤ 0.05). Among the PSS domains, parental education level predicted their social integration (B = −0.16; 95% CI −0.30, −0.02) and nurturance (B = −0.24; 95% CI −0.43, −0.06). Family income predicted social integration (B = −0.17; 95% CI −0.33 −0.01), worth (B = −0.23; 95% CI −0.39 −0.06), and assistance (B = −0.22; 95% CI −0.42 −0.01). Parents with higher scores of intimacy and social integration were more aware of their children’s oral health ( p = 0.01). The parental social integration mean scores were significantly higher among parents whose children consumed ≥1 sugary snack/day ( p = 0.02). All five domain scores were significantly higher among parents of children who reported ≥2 toothbrushing/day compared with children who brushed <2/day ( p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that parents’ PSS only improved their children’s toothbrushing frequency. Compared to other domains, social integration was significantly associated with children’s OHB. Neither parental PSS total score nor domains were associated with DMFT/dmft.

Keywords: social support; oral health; immigrants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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