Abstract:

Objective To know the oral health knowledge, attitudes and behavior among mothers of 3-4-year-old children in Shenzhen for providing targeted oral health education on mothers so as to improve the children’s oral health. Methods The questionnaire survey was conducted among 332 mothers of 3-4-year-old children from 7 kindergartens by cluster sampling method, and all the valid questionnaires were processed and analyzed statistically. Results The correct answer rates of the questions on oral health knowledge were from 28.10% to 64.16%. On the oral health attitudes and behavior, about 84.04% of the mothers surveyed thought it was right that caries of deciduous teeth should not be treated before it caused pain; about 78.01% approved that oral health should be checked periodically, but only 11.75% could do it positively with their family and their own. Conclusion The children’s mothers in Shenzhen appeared relatively thin in the oral health knowledge and poor in the oral health attitudes and behavior. Oral health information and education in Shenzhen should be enhanced so as to improve the children’s oral health.

Key words: oral health, health education, children, mothers