Abstract
Purpose
This cross-sectional study aimed at evaluating the factors associated with flossing by caregivers in Brazilian young children.
Methods
Its sample consisted of 305 children aged 1–3 and their mothers from the Brazilian city of Diamantina. They were selected through the Municipal Health Department from a list of registered children who had recently used the public health services. Data collection was done by means of the mothers answering a questionnaire which addressed economic and socio-demographic factors and also the mother and child characteristics and habits. In addition, an oral clinical examination was performed in order to assess Baume arch type and caries occurrence. Descriptive statistical analysis, chi-square test and Poisson regression were performed.
Results
It was found that the sample presented a prevalent flossing habit in 20.3% of the subjects. The flossing habit in the children was associated with the mothers' own habit of flossing daily (PR 2.32; 95% CI 1.12–4.82) and with the frequent children’s tooth brushing by the mother (PR 2.85; 95% CI 1.05–7.76).
Conclusion
A higher prevalence of flossing by caregivers in young children is associated with the mothers’ own habit of flossing daily and with the frequent children’s tooth brushing by the mother.
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Data availability
Data supporting the results in this paper were not archived in an public repository. The data sets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Funding
This study was financed in part by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (Capes) – Finance Code 001. The Research Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ), Brazil.
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ANR was responsible for collecting patient data and writing the manuscript. JRJ was responsible for statistical analysis, the critical review of the manuscript and orientation of the work. PSM was responsible for collecting patient data and writing the manuscript. RAG was responsible for collecting patient data and writing the manuscript. MLR-J was responsible for statistical analysis and for the critical review of the manuscript. IBF was responsible for collecting patient data, for statistical analysis, writing the manuscript and orientation of the work. All authors discussed and approved the final version of this article.
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This study received approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Brazil (protocol number 1.921.084).
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Rubim, A.N., Ramos-Jorge, J., Mourão, P.S. et al. Cross-sectional study on factors associated with flossing in Brazilian young children. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 24, 187–193 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-022-00772-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-022-00772-0