Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, MAHSA University, Bandar Saujana Putra, 42610, Jenjarom, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Community Oral Health and Clinical Prevention, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Community Oral Health and Clinical Prevention, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. zamros@um.edu.my
Health Qual Life Outcomes, 2020 Sep 29;18(1):319.
PMID: 32993663 DOI: 10.1186/s12955-020-01565-z

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence with regards to the association between both maternal and child dental anxiety and the mother's perception of her child's oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of maternal and child dental anxiety with COHRQoL and the effect of demographic factors as moderators in this relationship. In addition, the association between child's dental caries experience and the COHRQoL was also assessed.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1150, 5-6 year-old preschool children in Selangor, Malaysia. Mothers answered a questionnaire on socio-economic status, the Malay-Modified Dental Anxiety Scale to assess maternal dental anxiety, and the Malay-Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale to assess COHRQoL. Child's dental anxiety was assessed using the Malay-Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale via a face-to-face interview prior to oral examination to assess dental caries. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling to assess the relationship between maternal and child dental anxiety and COHRQoL.

RESULTS: Overall, complete data on 842 mother-child dyads were analysed. The mean scores of total ECOHIS, the child impacts section (CIS), and the family impacts section (FIS) were 17.7 (SD = 4.9), 12.6 (SD = 3.7), and 5.1 (SD = 1.9), respectively. The mean dental anxiety scores for mothers and children were 11.8 (SD = 4.5) and 16.9 (SD = 4.3), respectively. Maternal dental anxiety was associated with the CIS (b = 0.08, p 

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.