A study on factors affecting the oral health care behavior of mothers for young children

Objectives : This study were to find out differences in mother's oral health knowledge and oral health care behaviors and to find out factors that affected mothers' oral health care behavior for their young children. Methods : The survey was carried out with questionnaire about personal factor, cognitive factor, psychological factor and behavioral factor to 227 mothers. They had children from 3 to 5 years. The collected data was analyzed by SPSS WIN 12.0. Results : There were statistically significant differences in oral health knowledges as mother's educational background, importance of oral health, experience of oral health education, and oral health locus of control. There were statistically significant differences in mother's oral health care behaviors as mother's job, interest of oral health, importance of oral health, experience of oral health education, and oral health locus of control. And mother' oral health care behavior for herself, interest of oral health, and oral health locus of control were found as important variables in mothers's oral health care behavior for their children. Conclusions : Mother's oral health care behavior for herself was the powerful factor that affected mother's oral health care behavior for her children.