BACKGROUND: Children born into prostitution often face significant barriers in accessing healthcare, including oral health services. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of female sex workers (FSWs) regarding their school-going children's oral health, as well as the oral health status of these children in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2023 to February 2024 with a sample of 180 FSW mothers/institutional caregivers and their school-going children between ages 7 to 17. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on KAP. The children's oral health was assessed using the DMFT/dmft index for caries and the gingival index (GI) for gingival health, while plaque and calculus levels were measured using the plaque index (PI) and calculus index (CI), respectively.
RESULTS: Among the FSW mothers/ institutional caregivers, 79% had good knowledge of oral health, 77.2% displayed a positive attitude, and 62.8% were informed about proper oral health practices. FSW mothers/ institutional caregivers who had higher educational attainment were three times more likely to practice good oral hygiene compared to those with lower-educated caregivers (OR = 3.27, β = 1.11, p
* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.