Abstract
This study examines the knowledge levels pertaining to early childhood caries (ECC) among grassroot workers of rural India. A questionnaire study assessing the awareness levels of various ECC aspects was carried out among 88 auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), 140 Anganwadi workers (AWWs), and 210 Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers in a district of Southern India. A 24-item pretested, structured, and close-ended, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on the knowledge of early childhood oral health-related factors. Descriptive statistics and multivariate ANOVA were used to summarize the results. Overall, only 59% of ANMs, 49% of AWWs, and 47% of ASHA workers were found to have adequate knowledge about ECC. The current study clearly highlighted the discrepancy in the awareness levels among grassroot health care workers. A deficit was found to exist in the knowledge of the tested health care workers regarding infant oral care and ECC transmissibility.
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