Impact of Parental Health Beliefs on Early Childhood Caries: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction and aims

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a widespread chronic condition that significantly affect children's health and well-being. Although parental psychosocial factors are key to shaping children's oral health behaviours, few studies have examined the distinct influences of fathers' vs mothers' health beliefs. The Health Belief Model (HBM) - which examines health behaviours through perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy - provides a valuable framework for examining these dynamics. This study applied the HBM to investigate the associations between caregiver beliefs, behaviours, and ECC risk, with a focus on differences between fathers and mothers.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal analysis utilizing data from the Taipei Pre

SUBMITTER: Chou YC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12303070 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature