Incidence and prevention of early childhood caries in one- and two-parent families
| dc.contributor.author | Plutzer, K. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Keirse, M. | |
| dc.date.issued | 2011 | |
| dc.description.abstract | <h4>Background</h4>Since the mid-1990s, there has been an increase in early childhood caries (ECC) in Australia and an increase in children living in one-parent families.<h4>Objective</h4>To examine whether single parenthood (mother only) affects the effectiveness of an oral health promotion programme to prevent ECC in their child.<h4>Methods</h4>First-time mothers were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of anticipatory guidance to prevent ECC. The intervention was applied during pregnancy and when the child was 6 and 12 months old. Mothers in the control group received no intervention. The presence of ECC was assessed at 20 months of age and compared between children from one- and two-parent families.<h4>Results</h4>Of 649 women enrolled, 441 brought their child for dental assessment. Eighty-seven (19.7%) had a one-parent family. Children from one-parent families had a 2.3 times higher incidence of ECC than children from two-parent families. The intervention reduced the frequency of ECC from 8.1% to 1.1% in two-parent families (relative risk: 0.14) and from 16.3% to 4.5% (relative risk: 0.28) in one-parent families. One case of ECC was prevented for every nine single mothers receiving anticipatory guidance compared with one case per 15 partnered mothers. Despite a greater reduction in the absolute risk of ECC in children from one-parent families, the intervention reduced their ECC experience only 3.5-fold compared with sevenfold in children from two-parent families.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The intervention produced a greater reduction in the frequency of ECC in children from one-parent families than in those from two-parent families. This did not reduce their disadvantage, though, as they still had a four times higher risk than children from two-parent families. Mothers and children in one-parent families need substantially more attention and support than those in two-parent families to eliminate their disadvantage in suffering ECC. | |
| dc.description.statementofresponsibility | K. Plutzer and M. J. N. C. Keirse | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Child: Care, Health and Development, 2011; 37(1):5-10 | |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01114.x | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0305-1862 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 1365-2214 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2440/64942 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Blackwell Science Ltd | |
| dc.rights | © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. | |
| dc.source.uri | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01114.x | |
| dc.subject | early childhood caries | |
| dc.subject | family structure | |
| dc.subject | health promotion | |
| dc.subject | randomized controlled trial | |
| dc.subject | single parenthood | |
| dc.title | Incidence and prevention of early childhood caries in one- and two-parent families | |
| dc.type | Journal article | |
| pubs.publication-status | Published |