Parenting style and oral health status

Seran Ng, Christina Demopoulos, Connie Mobley, Marcia Ditmyer

Department of Biomedical Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA.
Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA.
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/ojped.2013.33033                

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the correlation between parenting style and oral health status. Methods: Eighty-seven children aged 2 - 14 years old were examined and their oral health status was measured by the decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT/dmft) index, untreated caries and caries experience. Caries experience was defined as untreated and treated teeth, either restored or filled. The parenting style of parents was measured by the Parenting Style Dimension Questionnaire (PSDQ). Demographic information recorded included race/ethnicity, level of education and child’s type of dental insurance. Results: The majority of the parents identified with the authoritative parenting style. There was no correlation between parenting styles and oral health status. Hispanic children and those whose parents had less education and low socioeconomic status (Medicaid) tended to show poorer oral health status. Conclusion: The expected relationship between parenting style and oral health status was not confirmed. Race/ethnicity, level of parents’ education and socioeconomic status may have a greater impact on oral health than parenting approaches.

Keywords

Parenting Styles; DMFT/dmft; Untreated Caries; Hispanic; Oral Health

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Ditmyer, M., Donunis, G., Mobley, C. and Schwarz, E. (2011) Inequalities of caries experience in Nevada youth expressed by dmft index vs. significant caries index (SiC) over time. BMC Oral Health, 11, 12. doi:10.1186/1472-6831-11-12
[2]	Law, C.S. (2007) The impact of changing parenting styles on the advancement of pediatric oral health. CDA Journal, 3, 192-197.
[3]	Casamassimo, P.S., Wilson, S. and Gross, L. (2002) Effects of changing US parenting styles on dental practice: Perceptions of diplomates of the American board of pediatric dentistry. Pediatric Dentistry, 24, 18-22.
[4]	Robinson, C.C., Mandleco, B., Olsen, S.F. and Hart, C.H. (2001) The parenting styles and dimensions questionnaire (PSDQ). Handbook of Family Measurement Techniques, 3, 319-321.
[5]	Robinson, C., Mandeleco, B., Olsen, F. and Hart, C. (1995) Authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting practices: Development of a new measure. Psychological Reports, 77, 819-830. doi:10.2466/pr0.1995.77.3.819
[6]	Casamassimo, P., Wilson, S. and Gross, L. (2001) Effects of changing US parenting styles on dental practice: Perceptions of diplomates of the American board of pediatric dentistry. Pediatric Dentistry, 24, 18-22.
[7]	Bingham, M.E., Mathu-Muju, K.R., Nash, D.A., Bush, H.M. and Hsin-Fang, L. (2012) Correlating parenting styles with oral hygiene and dental caries: A pilot study. Unpublished.
[8]	Aminabadi, N.A. and Farahani, R.M.Z. (2008) Correlation of parenting style and pediatric behavior guidance strategies in the dental setting: Preliminary findings. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 66, 99-104. doi:10.1080/00016350802001322
[9]	Krikken, J.B. and Veerkamp, J.S. (2008) Child rearing styles, dental anxiety and disruptive behavior: An exploratory study. European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry, 9, 23-28. doi:10.1007/BF03262652
[10]	Wood, J.J., McLeod, B.D., Sigman, M., Hwang, W.C. and Chu, B.C. (2003) Parenting and childhood anxiety: Theory, empirical findings, and future directions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44, 134-151. doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00106
[11]	Monaghan, M., Horn, I.B., Alvarez, V., Cogen, F.R. and Streisand, R. (2012) Authoritative parenting, parenting stress, and self care in pre-adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 19, 255-261. doi:10.1007/s10880-011-9284-x
[12]	Aleksejuniene, J. and Brukiene, V. (2012) Parenting style, locus of control, and oral hygiene in adolescents. Medicina (Kaunas), 48, 102-108.
[13]	Dietrich, T., Culler, C., Garcia, R.I. and Henshaw, M.M. (2008) Racial and ethnic disparities in children’s oral health: The national survey of children’s health. JADA, 139, 1507-1517.
[14]	Rockville, M.D. and US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2000) Oral health in America: A report of the surgeon general. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
[15]	Rockville, M.D. and US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Service Administration, Maternal and Child Bureau (2005) The oral health of children: A portrait of states and the nation 2005. The National Survey of Children’s Health 2003. US Department of Health and Human Services.
[16]	Berge, J.M., Wall, M., Bauer, K.W. and Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2010) Parenting characteristics in the home environment and adolescent overweight: A latent class analysis. Obesity, 18, 818-825. doi:10.1038/oby.2009.324
[17]	Berge, J.M., Wall, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Larson, N. and Story, M. (2010) Parenting style and family meals: Cross-sectional and 5-year longitudinal associations. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110, 1036-1042. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2010.04.011
[18]	Hennessy, E., Hughes, S.O., Goldberg, J.P., Hyatt, R.R. and Economos, C.D. (2010) Parent behavior and child weight status among a diverse group of underserved rural families. Appetite, 54, 369-377. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2010.01.004
[19]	Topham, G.L., Hubbs-Tait, L., Rutledge, J.M., Page, M.C., Kennedy, T.S., Shriver, L.H. and Harrist, A.W. (2011) Parenting styles, parental response to child emotion, and family emotional responsiveness are related to child emotional eating. Appetite, 56, 261-264. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.01.007
[20]	Hennessy, E., Hughes, S.O., Goldberg, J.P., Hyatt, R.R. and Economos, C.D. (2010) Parent-child interactions and objectively measured child physical activity: A crosssectional study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-7-71
[21]	Jago, R., Davison, K.K., Brockman, R., Page, A.S., Thompson, J.L. and Fox, K.R. (2011) Parenting styles, parenting practices, and physical activity in 10-to 11-year olds. Preventive Medicine, 52, 44-47. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.11.001
[22]	Barradas, D.T., Fulton, J.E., Blanck, H.M. and Huhman, M. (2007) Parental influences on youth television viewing. Journal of Pediatrics, 151, 369-373. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2007.04.069
[23]	Jago, R., Davison, K.K., Thompson, J.L., Page, A.S., Brockman, R. and Fox, K.R. (2011) Parental sedentary restriction, maternal parenting style, and television viewing among 10-to 11-year-olds. Pediatrics, 128, e572-e578. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-3664
[24]	Berge, J.M., Wall, M., Loth, K. and Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2010) Parenting style as a predictor of adolescent weight and weight-related behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46, 331-338. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.08.004
[25]	Blissett, J. and Haycraft, E. (2008) Are parenting style and controlling feeding practices related? Appetite, 50, 477-485. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2007.10.003
[26]	Zeller, M.H., Boles, R.E. and Reiter-Purtill, J. (2008) The additive and interactive effects of parenting style and temperament in obese youth seeking treatment. International Journal of Obesity, 32, 1474-1480. doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.125
[27]	Taylor, A., Wilson, C., Slater, A. and Mohr, P. (2011) Parentand child-reported parenting. Associations with child weight-related outcomes. Appetite, 57, 700-706. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.08.014
[28]	Vereecken, C., Rovner, A. and Maes, L. (2010) Associations of parenting styles, parental feeding practices and child characteristics with young children’s fruit and vegetable consumption. Appetite, 55, 589-596. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2010.09.009
[29]	Kremer, S.P., Brug, J., De Vries, H. and Engels, R.C. (2003) Parenting styles and adolescent fruit consumption. Appetite, 41, 43-50. doi:10.1016/S0195-6663(03)00038-2
[30]	Kim, K. and Rohner, R.P. (2002) Parental warmth, control, and involvement in schooling predicting academic achievement among Korean American adolescents. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33, 127-140. doi:10.1177/0022022102033002001