The relationship between children’s oral health-related behaviors and their caregiver’s social support

BACKGROUND Social support might play a role in helping people adopt healthy behaviors and improve their health. Stronger social support from mothers has been found to be positively related to higher tooth brushing frequency in 1- to 3-year-old children. However, little is known regarding the relationship between the caregiver's social support and the oral health-related behaviors of 5-year-old children in China. This study aimed to investigate this relationship. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1332 5-year-old children and their caregivers in Guangzhou, southern China. Data were collected using questionnaires that were completed by the caregivers and the children's caries status were examined. The caregivers' social support was measured using the Social Support Rating Scale. The measurements of the children's oral health-related behaviors included the frequencies of sugary snack intake and tooth brushing, utilization of dental services, and patterns of dental visits. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the relationships between the variables. RESULTS No association was found between the caregiver's social support and the child's oral health-related behaviors in a multiple logistic regression analysis. However, other factors, particularly the oral health-related behaviors of the caregiver, were found to be significantly linked to the child's oral health-related behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The oral health-related behaviors of 5-year-old children in Guangzhou are unrelated to the caregiver's social support but are related to other specific factors, particularly the caregiver's oral health-related behaviors.