ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PARENTAL FACTORS AND DENTAL CARIES IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Abstract

This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the associations between parental factors and dental caries in preschool children aged 3-4 years, using data from a birth cohort study in Khon Kaen, Thailand. We collected information on parental factors, including socio-economic status and pregnancy-related variables, through interviews with mothers during the second trimester of pregnancy. Oral examinations were performed by calibrated dentists following the World Health Organization criteria when the children were 3-4 years old. Analysis of data from 556 children revealed that children whose parents were separated or divorced had a significantly higher risk of dental caries compared to those whose parents were married (adjusted RR 1.15, 95%CI 1.06, 1.24). Additionally, children whose mothers were over 35 years old during pregnancy had a significantly higher risk of dental caries compared to children whose mothers were aged 20-35 years (adjusted RR 1.12, 95%CI 1.06, 1.18). Smoking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of developing dental caries in preschool children (crude RR 1.13, 95%CI 1.09, 1.16), though this association was not statistically significant after adjusting for confounding factors. In conclusion, parental factors, including maternal age at pregnancy and marital status, are risk factors for dental caries in this group of preschool children.