Association Between Dental and Oral Care Behavior Towards Quality of Life in Stunting Toddlers

Abstract

Introduction: Dental and oral health is an important thing that must be considered, especially in stunted children who need more attention because they have a less level of awareness, are susceptible to disease, and have a low intellectual level compared to children with balanced nutrition. If the problem of dental and oral health in stunted children is not addressed, it will cause malnutrition to get worse and the quality of life for stunted children to get lower. Methods: This research is an analytic observational study with a cross sectional approach. This study used the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) Questionnaire and was conducted on stunted toddlers which would be filled out by the parents of these toddlers in Sumberjambe District, Jember Regency. The sampling technique uses total sampling. Of the 9 villages in Sumberjambe sub-district, 3 villages were taken randomly. Each village takes 1 posyandu with the most participants. Results: There is a significant relationship between the behavior of maintaining oral and dental health and the quality of life of stunting toddlers. Most of the respondents had poor dental and oral health maintenance behavior and a very impactful quality of life. Conclusion: The behavior of stunting toddlers in maintaining healthy teeth and mouth is still in the low category and the majority of respondents have a very impactful quality of life.