영유아를 둔 부모의 자녀 구강건강에 대한 중요도 인식과 실행수준

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to suggest implications for oral health education for young children by examining the recognition of the importance of young children's oral health and the level of implementation among parents of recognition. Method: A survey was conducted on 320 parents of young children in Region C from July 10 to July 28, 2023. A total of 293 questionnaires were used in the final analysis. The collected data were conducted to frequency analysis, IPA analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 Results: First, the question with the highest recognition of the importance of oral health care for children among parents of young children was ‘If a child says their teeth hurt, they receive dental treatment quickly. The item with the highest level of implementation was ‘When purchasing a toothbrush, purchase a children’s toothbrush that matches the size of child’s teeth.’ Second, the question with the highest recognition of the importance of oral health education for children among parents of young children was ‘Instructing children to brush their teeth, tongue, and gums when brushing their teeth.’ The question with the highest level of implementation was ‘Educate child to eat foods that are beneficial to dental health.’ Conclusions: There is a need to improve parents' level of practice regarding oral health of young children, including proper brushing of teeth, oral check-ups, and use of oral products. Nutrition education, oral health and safety parent education, and early childhood teacher retraining are requested.