The Correlation between a Mother’s Behavior Regarding Her Child’s Dietary Habits and Early Childhood Caries (Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior)

摘要

Objective: To obtain information regarding the relationship of amother’s behaviour in relation to herchild’s dietary habits based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with Early Childhood Caries(ECC). Methods: This research comprised a cross-sectional study using a TPB questionnaire on295 mothers and intra-oral examinations on 295 children in the District of Beji, Depok, Indonesia.The calibration of the TPB questionnaire was conducted prior to the research. The internal andexternal reliability of the children’s dietary habits questionnaire was Cronbach’s alpha = 0.863 andIntraclass Correlation (ICC) = 0.899. Results: The prevalence of ECC in the Beji District was 53.9%,with a DMFT score of 3.46and plaque score of 7.66. The correlation between children’s dietaryhabits and ECC was significant and constituted a negative correlation (r = -0.293 and r = -0.197).Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between a mother’s behavior in relation to herchild’s dietary habits based on the TPB, with ECC. These findings have important implications forthe prevention of ECC in children because they suggest that prevention programs need to alsofocus on mother’s behavior towards oral health, since it affects their children’s dietary habits.