Abstract
Introduction
In the United States, approximately 2.7 million grandparents have permanent custody of their grandchildren. Prevalence of primary dental caries has remained steady for those living in poverty, and among children of color. Children in the care of their grandparents frequently live in socioeconomically disadvantaged households, where dental disparities continue to exist. Research regarding the grandfamily dynamic as it relates to oral health, is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate oral health perceptions, behaviors, and knowledge of grandparents raising/caring for their grandchildren; and explore how a grandparent caregiver’s oral health knowledge influences their perceptions/behaviors regarding their grandchild’s oral health.
Methods
This descriptive, cross-sectional survey research used non-probability sampling strategies to recruit grandparents who were the primary caregiver of their grandchildren, aged birth to eighteen years. A validated questionnaire was employed, both in-person and electronically.
Results
A total of 75 grandparents participated and answered 52% (SD = 27%) of oral health knowledge questions correctly. The study showed a correlation between low-income grandparents (M = 3.94, SD = 1.02) having higher pediatric oral health knowledge. Additionally, results indicated the greater the knowledge, the more positive intent to assist grandchildren with routine brushing and in checking their teeth for cavities.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated that regardless of socioeconomic status, grandparent caregiver’s oral health knowledge can positively affect their oral health-related behaviors and values, which could influence their grandchildren’s' oral health. Further research regarding grandparent caregiver utilization of public health pediatric services and dental education programs, and the potential influence of these programs on pediatric oral health, should be explored.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Quickstats: Prevalence of untreated dental caries in primary teeth among children aged 2–8 years, by age group and race/Hispanic origin. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6609a5.
Choi, M., Sprang, G., & Eslinger, J. G. (2016). Grandparents raising grandchildren: A synthetic review and theoretical model for interventions. Family and Community Health, 39(2), 120–128. https://doi.org/10.1097/FCH.0000000000000097.
Creswell, J. (2014). Research design qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Dye, B. A., Li, X., & Thornton-Evans, G. (2012). Oral health disparities as determined by selected Healthy People 2020 oral health objectives for the United States, 2009–2010. NCHS data brief, no 104. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db104.pdf
Dye, B. A., Thornton-Evans, G., Li, X., & Iafolla, T. J. (2015). Dental caries and sealant prevalence in children and adolescents in the United States, 2011–2012. NCHS data brief, no 191. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db191.pdf
Dye, B., Mitnik, G., Iafolla, T., & Vargas, C. (2017). Trends in dental caries in children and adolescents according to poverty status in the United States from 1999 through 2004 and from 2011 through 2014. Journal of the American Dental Association, 148(8), 550–565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2017.04.013.
Ellis, R., & Simmons, T. (2014). Coresident grandparents and their grandchildren: 2012. U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/demo/p20-576.pdf
Fischer, D., O’Hayre, M., Kusiak, J., & Somerman, M. (2017). Oral health disparities: A perspective from the national institute of dental and craniofacial research. American Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303622.
Generations United. (2016). The state of grandfamilies in America, 2016. https://dl2.pushbulletusercontent.com/qdCNUO2JMMZKzKRjyIlwbgjMtf39xkKa/16-Report-SOGF-Final.pdf
McQuistan, M. R., Qasim, A., Shao, C., Straub-Morarend, C. L., & Macek, M. D. (2015). Oral health knowledge among elderly patients. Journal of the American Dental Association, 146(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2014.10.002.
Oberoi, J., Kathariya, R., Panda, A., Garg, I., & Raikar, S. (2016). Dental knowledge and awareness among grandparents. World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, 5(1), 112–117. https://doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.v5.i1.112.
Ohio Development Services Agency. (2018). The Ohio poverty report. https://www.development.ohio.gov/files/research/p7005.pdf
Oral Health America. (2016). 2016 public opinion poll: Executive summary, 2017. https://www.oralhealthamerica.org/
Prasad, M., Manjunath, C., Murthy, A. K., Sampath, A., Jaiswal, S., & Mohapatra, A. (2019). Integration of oral health into primary health care: A systematic review. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 8(6), 1838–1845. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_286_19.
Pilkauskas, N. V., & Dunifon, R. E. (2016). Understanding grandfamilies: Characteristics of grandparents, nonresident parents, and children. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 78(3), 623–633. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12291.
Robison, V., Wei, L., & Hsia, J. (2020). Racial/ethnic disparities among US children and adolescents in use of dental care. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17:190352. https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2020/19_0352.htm
United States Census Bureau. (2014). 10 percent of grandparents live with a grandchild. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-194.html
Wiener, R. C., & Shockey, A. T. (2014). Oral health knowledge and dental visits in community living older adults in rural Appalachia-West Virginia: A cross-sectional analysis. Journal of Studies in Social Sciences, 8(1), 1–14.
Acknowledgements
A special thank you to Mark D. Macek, DDS, DrPH and Jyoti Oberoi, PhD for permission to use and modify the survey instruments from their previously conducted research.
Funding
No funding provided.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Williams, S.E., Rainchuso, L., Boyd, L.D. et al. Oral Health Considerations of Children: Grandparent Caregiver Perceptions, Behaviors, and Knowledge. Matern Child Health J 25, 759–768 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-020-03087-y
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-020-03087-y