Stephanie R Smith1, Jeroen Kroon2, Ralf Schwarzer3, Kyra Hamilton4. 1. School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: stephanie.smith4@griffithuni.edu.au. 2. School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: j.kroon@griffith.edu.au. 3. Department of Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: ralf.schwarzer@fu-berlin.de. 4. School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: kyra.hamilton@griffith.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Regular and consistent parental involvement in children's oral hygiene practices is crucial to prevent oral diseases in young children. This emphasizes the need for interventions targeting parental-supervised oral hygiene behavior. To inform the design of future interventions, this meta-analysis aimed to identify the parental social-cognitive factors associated with oral hygiene behavior of preschoolers. METHOD: Five bibliographic databases were searched. A study was eligible for inclusion when it reported an association between a parental social-cognitive factor and an oral hygiene behavior in the targeted age cohort. Meta-analyses were performed when there were at least four independent effect sizes (k > 3). RESULTS: Of the 5945 records identified, 25 studies contained eligible data to be included in four meta-analyses: attitude (k = 12); self-efficacy (k = 12); intention (k = 6), and sense of coherence (k = 5). The results showed that greater frequency of preschoolers' oral hygiene behavior is significantly associated with parental attitudes (r+ = 0.18), self-efficacy (r+ = 0.34), and intention (r+ = 0.29), and not significantly associated with parental sense of coherence (r+ = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy, attitudes, and intention were identified as significant correlates of parental-supervised oral hygiene behavior. However, this is a limited evidence base and many social-cognitive factors, such as self-regulatory processes including planning and action control, have yet to be explored in this context. The significant social-cognitive correlates identified in this study, as well as potential other self-regulatory factors, should be targeted in future intervention studies aimed at improving this important preventive behavior.
BACKGROUND: Regular and consistent parental involvement in children's oral hygiene practices is crucial to prevent oral diseases in young children. This emphasizes the need for interventions targeting parental-supervised oral hygiene behavior. To inform the design of future interventions, this meta-analysis aimed to identify the parental social-cognitive factors associated with oral hygiene behavior of preschoolers. METHOD: Five bibliographic databases were searched. A study was eligible for inclusion when it reported an association between a parental social-cognitive factor and an oral hygiene behavior in the targeted age cohort. Meta-analyses were performed when there were at least four independent effect sizes (k > 3). RESULTS: Of the 5945 records identified, 25 studies contained eligible data to be included in four meta-analyses: attitude (k = 12); self-efficacy (k = 12); intention (k = 6), and sense of coherence (k = 5). The results showed that greater frequency of preschoolers' oral hygiene behavior is significantly associated with parental attitudes (r+ = 0.18), self-efficacy (r+ = 0.34), and intention (r+ = 0.29), and not significantly associated with parental sense of coherence (r+ = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy, attitudes, and intention were identified as significant correlates of parental-supervised oral hygiene behavior. However, this is a limited evidence base and many social-cognitive factors, such as self-regulatory processes including planning and action control, have yet to be explored in this context. The significant social-cognitive correlates identified in this study, as well as potential other self-regulatory factors, should be targeted in future intervention studies aimed at improving this important preventive behavior.