Knowledge and reported behaviour concerning the prevention of caries in children: A questionnaire survey of Japanese parents resident in London, UK

Y. Mikami, R. Croucher, M. Hector

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    4 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and self-reported behaviours of a sample of Japanese parents resident in London, UK with respect to the prevention of caries in their children. Japanese parents were asked to complete a structured questionnaire which was distributed through the school authorities to seventeen primary schools. Data was collected on: socio-demographics, dental service use in their children, knowledge and reported behaviours with respect to the prevention of dental caries in their children. After one reminder the questionnaire response rate was 69 per cent (n=111). The mean age of the children was 6.75 years (range 3-12 years) and 73 per cent had been born in Japan. Those respondents with children born in the UK were more likely to take their children to the dentist regularly and more likely to correctly identify the cause and prevention of dental caries. Whilst a majority of respondents reported that their children brushed their teeth twice daily, toothpaste was not used by one quarter of the children. Barriers to dental attendance were identified. Whilst there were some similarities in levels of knowledge and reported behaviours, the parents of Japanese born children were disadvantaged with respect to knowledge about the causes and prevention of dental caries and the use of UK primary dental care services. These parents should be offered information about these issues.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)115-121
    Number of pages7
    JournalInternational Dental Journal
    Volume49
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Apr 1999

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Dentistry

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Knowledge and reported behaviour concerning the prevention of caries in children: A questionnaire survey of Japanese parents resident in London, UK'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this