Knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers about child oral health in Primary Health Care

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers about the oral health of their children followed up in a primary health care service. Methods: Cross-sectional study of a cohort study on child oral health in primary care. Data collection was carried out in 2014 and 2015, in 12 health units in Porto Alegre, with a sample composed of 442 children born in 2013. Results: Of the 442 mothers, 46% were between 25 and 34 years old and 94% per capital of up to R$700.00. About 80% of knowledge questions had more adequate than inadequate answers. In the attitudes area, there is an inversion, with only 2 questions with a higher number of adequate answers than inadequate ones. The practices axis had the questions with the highest percentage of inadequate answers. Low maternal education was more associated with inadequate responses - knowledge about caries (p=0.014); breastfeeding attitudes (p=0.036), oral hygiene (p=0.043) and consumption of sweets (p=0.032) - in the same way as the number of teeth of children in the first consultation - knowledge of food (p=0.002), attitudes food (p=0.011) and consumption of sweets (p=0.017) and breastfeeding practices (=0.030) and hygiene (p=0.021). Conclusion: The mothers showed good knowledge about oral health, reasonable attitudes, but the practices proved to be at risk for the development of caries. Some groups are associated with the worst scores of knowledge, attitudes and practices and therefore must have special care by the dentist, ensuring equity in health care.