The Influence of Maternal Educational Level on the Oral Health Behavior of Korean Adults

Abstract

Background: Parental attention is crucial for preventing childhood oral diseases. Mothers play a significant role in maintaining their families’ oral health, and their educational level influences their children’s oral health behaviors. This study investigates the impact of mothers’ educational levels on adult oral health behaviors using data from a national survey.Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data. The data used were obtained from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated to identify participant characteristics. Next, t-tests and one-way analysis of variance were conducted to examine the effects of the explanatory variables on the distribution of the dependent variable. Finally, logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influence of the explanatory variable on the dependent variable, using “no education” as the reference value, and calculate the odds ratios. Results: Children of mothers with a college education or higher had a 1.13 times higher likelihood of receiving oral examinations than those whose mothers had no education. Children whose mothers graduated from college or higher had a 2.23 times higher probability of receiving preventative dental treatment than those whose mothers had no education. Children whose mothers graduated from college or higher had a 1.92 times higher probability of receiving scaling than those whose mothers had no education. Children whose mothers graduated from high school had a 1.35 times higher probability of receiving scaling than those whose mothers had no education.Conclusion: Developing oral health programs is important for low-educated and low-income parents to change theirs and their children’s oral health behaviors/attitudes. This will help reduce oral health disparities among adults raised by parents of higher and lower socioeconomic statuses. Therefore, a comprehensive approach is essential for adults to maintain good oral health, regardless of variations in their parental educational levels during childhood.

Keywords

• educational status
• health behavior
• mother-child relations
• oral health
• social class