- Antoine Choufani: Pediatric and Public Health Dentistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, LBN.
- Rasseel Barakat: Pediatric Dentistry and Public Health, Private Practice, Windsor, CAN.
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Lebanese mothers toward their children's oral health, examine the association between the three variables, and identify their predictors.
METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was administered to Lebanese mothers residing in Lebanon with children aged six months to 12 years between April and May 2022. The survey was administered to mothers from various geographical areas who presented to academic medical centers, private clinics, and dispensaries. The survey gathered sociodemographic data as well as assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the participating mothers toward their children's oral health.
RESULTS: A total of 357 responses were included in the final analysis. The mean age of mothers was 32.67 years +/- 6.35. The majority of mothers had one or two children (35.8% and 37.5%, respectively). More than two-thirds of the mothers were unemployed. Only 13% of the mothers followed best practices for their children's dental health, while 48.6.2% possessed above-average knowledge and 88.9% had great attitudes. Mothers with a university education had higher knowledge, better attitudes, and practice scores than those with school-level education (elementary, high school). Employed mothers had a significantly better knowledge score (p=0.036) and practice score (p=0.043) than unemployed mothers. The decrease in the number of children was associated with an increase in the maternal knowledge score. An increase in the mother's age was associated with a higher knowledge score.
CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest the need for targeted oral health education programs for Lebanese mothers to enhance their attitudes and practices toward their children's oral health. It highlights the importance of early oral health interventions and emphasizes the significant role of mothers in promoting good oral health practices for their children. Further research is needed on a larger scale to comprehensively understand these variables and inform the development of appropriate national oral health programs for children in Lebanon.