| dc.description.abstract | Background.
Oral health is an integral part of general health. According to the Kenya National
Oral Health Policy and Strategic Planning (KNOHP & SP 2002) the burden of oral
diseases is worsening among Kenyan children compared to the older generation.
However, with good oral practices, these diseases are preventable. Mothers playa
major role in influencing dental health behaviour of their children, especially those
below 12-years who are dependent on them for appropriate oral health practices.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to determine the oral health status of children aged
between 3-12-years, in relation to their mothers' oral health status.
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.
Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), the University of Nairobi, Dental
Hospital, and the Lady Northey City Council Clinic.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted among 239 children aged 3-12-
years and their mothers accompanying them to the hospitals. All the children who
presented at the clinics and met the inclusion criteria were included in the study.
Mothers and their children were examined for dental caries experience using the
xii
WHOCriteria 1997 (DMFT/dmft), gingivitis (G.I) using Loe and Silness index (1963)
plaque(P.I) usingWHO oral health assessment form (2005).
Data analysis and presentation: Data obtained was coded, entered in a computer
and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences [SPSS] 12.0[SPSS
Inc, Chicago, Illinois, USA], and presented using charts, graphs and tables. Chisquare
(X2) test, Wilcoxon test and Kruskal Walis test were used to determine the
relationship between variables for the categorical data. A p value of less than 0.05
was considered significant. Descriptive analysis was done using frequencies for
various variables
Results: The prevalence of dental caries among the children in the deciduous
dentition was 89.4% with a mean dmft of 5.47 (SO 3.73), while the prevalence of
dental caries for the permanent dentition was 29% with a mean DMFT of 0.79 (SO
1.66). The caries prevalence of the mothers was 83.3% with a DMFT of 7.91(SO
6.25). There was no association between mothers DMFT and the dmft of their
children aged 3-5 years (p=0.28). However, there was a positive association
betweenthe mothers DMFT and the dmft of children aged 6-9 years (p= 0.03) and
those aged 10-12 years (p=O.OO).There was a significant association between the
mothers DMFT and the DMFT of children aged 6-9 years (p=.OO)and those aged
10-12 years (p=O.OO).There was also a positive association between the mothers
mean plaque scores and the mean plaque scores of children aged 3-5 years
(p=0.02) and those aged 6-9 years (p= 0.00). However there was no association
between the mothers mean plaque scores and the mean plaque scores of children
aged 10-12years (p=0.26)
The prevalence of gingivitis among the children was 95%, while the prevalence of
gingivitis among the mothers was 89.1%. There was no association between the
mothers mean gingivitis score and the mean gingivitis score of children aged 3-5
years (p=0.93) and those aged 6-9 years (p= 0.50). However there was a positive
association between the mothers mean gingivitis score and the mean gingivitis score
of children aged 10-12 years (p=0.01)
Conclusions.
The prevalence of dental caries, plaque and gingivitis was high in both the mothers
and their children. There was a positive association between mother's caries
experience and their children's caries experience similarly there was a positive
association between the mother's oral hygiene and their children's oral hygiene.
There was also a positive association between the mother's gingival status and the
gingival status of their children aged 10-12 years. However there was no association
between mothers' gingival status and the gingival status of children aged 3-5 years
and those aged 6-9 years.
Recommendations.
There is a need to develop and implement preventive and promotive oral health
strategies aimed at improving the oral health status of the mothers, which will in turn
improve the oral health status of their children | en |
| dc.description.department | a
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, ; bDepartment of Mental Health, School of Medicine,
Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya | |
