EFFECTS OF PARENTS' ORAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN MAEPEN SUBDISTRICT, MAEPEN DISTRICT, NAKHON SAWAN PROVINCE

Abstract

Oral health is a vital component of the overall health of preschool children, significantly impacting their mastication (chewing), sleep quality, learning abilities, development, and physical growth. These issues can be prevented through appropriate oral health behaviors, which necessitate active parental cooperation. This study aimed to examine the effects of an oral healthcare program for parents of preschool children in Mae Poen Subdistrict, Mae Poen District, Nakhon Sawan Province. The program was developed based on the concepts of preventive dentistry, the Health Belief Model (HBM), the PRECEDE–PROCEED Model, and the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) framework. A quasi-experimental design with a two-group pretest–posttest approach was conducted in Mae Poen Subdistrict, Mae Poen District, Nakhon Sawan Province. Purposive sampling was used to select 34 parents, divided into an experimental group (n = 17) and a control group (n = 17). Data were collected using a questionnaire and a plaque index recording form. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, paired sample t-tests for within-group comparisons, and independent sample t-tests for between-group comparisons at a significance level of 0.05.

Results showed that in the experimental group, mean knowledge scores increased from 6.76 (SD = 2.73) to 14.76 (SD = 0.44), attitudes from 2.27 (SD = 0.42) to 2.99 (SD = 0.03), and practices from 2.11 (SD = 0.37) to 2.78 (SD = 0.10), while plaque levels decreased from 0.54 (SD = 0.27) to 0.09 (SD = 0.10) (all p < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes in knowledge (8.65 to 8.35; p = 0.172), attitudes (2.60 to 2.57; p = 0.409), or practices (2.24 to 2.24; p = 0.864), but plaque levels increased from 0.61 (SD = 0.32) to 1.12 (SD = 0.50) (p < 0.001). The findings indicate that the oral health care program effectively improved parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding oral health care and significantly reduced plaque accumulation in preschool children.