Oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of the parents of 3–12‑year‑old autistic children

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to assess the oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of
the parents of autistic 3–12‑year‑old.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross‑sectional study evaluated 50 parents of autistic
3–12‑year‑old in Isfahan city. The oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of the parents
were evaluated using a self‑administered questionnaire with closed questions, after confirming its
validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using independent t‑test, one‑way ANOVA, Pearson’s
correlation coefficient, regression analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha (α =0.05).
Results: Of children, 32 (64%) were males and 18 (36%) were females. A total of 28 (56%) fathers
and 22 (44%) mothers participated in this study. The mean age of the children and parents was
8.12 ± 2.4 years and 39.6 ± 6.8 years, respectively. The mean age at the time of diagnosis of autism
was 4.08 ± 1.33 years. Of all children, 24 (46.2%) had a previous dental history. The mean scores
of the knowledge and attitude of the parents were 5.2 ± 1.7 out of 11, and 16.1 ± 3.1 out of 30,
respectively. Of demographic variables, order of child birth had a significant correlation with attitude
of the parents, and those with one single child had significantly higher attitude score (P = 0.03).
Conclusion: The oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of the parents of autistic children
in Isfahan city were lower than expected, which calls for knowledge enhancement strategies in
this respect.
Key Words: Attitude, autism, knowledge, oral health, parents, performance