{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,5]],"date-time":"2026-11-05T01:08:50Z","timestamp":1793840930722,"version":"4.6.1"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766102400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]],"date-time":"2026-01-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769126400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":35,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Oral Health"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Oral health in childhood is influenced by parental literacy, dietary practices, and hygiene behaviors. Maternal food literacy may play a critical role in shaping children\u2019s oral health, yet this relationship remains underexplored in low- and middle-income settings. This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal food literacy and the oral health status of their children, focusing on dental caries experience (DMFT scores), oral hygiene behaviors, and sociodemographic factors.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted in D\u00f6rtyol, Hatay (June 2022 \u2013 February 2023) involving 113 children aged 40\u2013120 months and their mothers. Data were collected using validated Maternal Food Literacy and Maternal Health Literacy questionnaires, alongside structured questionnaires on children's oral health behaviors, while clinical oral examinations were performed to calculate DMFT (Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth) scores. Statistical analyses included Spearman correlation, non-parametric tests, and multiple linear regression analysis using the backward elimination method, with p &lt; 0.05 considered statistically significant.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The mean DMFT scores were 8.1 (\u00b13.9) in children and 6.9 (\u00b14.0) in mothers. While there was no significant relationship between the mother's food literacy and the child's DMFT scores (p=0.748), the mother's high health literacy was found to be associated with the child's high DMFT scores (B(95%CI) = 0.04 (0.01 \u2013 0.08), p=0.025). Maternal education (p=0.019), employment status (p=0.003), and socioeconomic level (p=0.028) were significantly associated with DMFT. Behavioral factors\u2014such as lack of personal toothbrush (p=0.018), low brushing frequency (p=0.002), and absence of fluoride varnish (p=0.008)\u2014were also linked to higher caries levels. A modest but significant positive correlation was observed between maternal and child DMFT scores (r=0.264, p&lt;0.01).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although maternal food literacy was not directly associated with children\u2019s DMFT scores in bivariate analyses, the multiple linear regression model using the backward elimination method identified higher maternal health literacy as an independent predictor of increased caries experience in children. Socioeconomic conditions and oral health behaviors were also strongly associated with caries outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of daily oral hygiene habits in children and suggest that oral health interventions should address behavioral education within families, regardless of literacy level.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-025-07522-w","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T14:25:38Z","timestamp":1766154338000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Maternal food literacy and health behaviors in relation to children\u2019s DMFT scores: a cross-sectional study from T\u00fcrkiye","Influences of maternal nutrition and lifestyle factors on early childhood oral health: a systematic review of mechanisms and intervention strategies"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5274-7606","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yavuzalp","family":"Solak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8203-1828","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"G\u00fcn Burak","family":"Tek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5719-1475","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hasan","family":"Durmu\u015f","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7458-3024","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erhan","family":"Kaya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3474-2681","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sevim","family":"Tek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]]},"reference":[{"issue":"01","key":"7522_CR1","first-page":"32","volume":"16","author":"ZJ Sadida","year":"2021","unstructured":"Sadida ZJ, Indriyanti R, Setiawan AS. Does growth stunting correlate with oral health in children? A systematic review. Eur J Dent. 2021;16(01):32\u201340.","journal-title":"Eur J Dent"},{"issue":"5","key":"7522_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"459","DOI":"10.1111\/ipd.12378","volume":"28","author":"RT Firmino","year":"2018","unstructured":"Firmino RT, et al. Is parental oral health literacy a predictor of children\u2019s oral health outcomes? Systematic review of the literature. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2018;28(5):459\u201371.","journal-title":"Int J Paediatr Dent"},{"issue":"4","key":"7522_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"392","DOI":"10.1177\/00220345211056247","volume":"101","author":"PYF Wen","year":"2022","unstructured":"Wen PYF, et al. Global burden and inequality of dental caries, 1990 to 2019. J Dent Res. 2022;101(4):392\u20139.","journal-title":"J Dent Res"},{"issue":"6","key":"7522_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"777","DOI":"10.3390\/children12060777","volume":"12","author":"EE \u00c7akmako\u011flu","year":"2025","unstructured":"\u00c7akmako\u011flu EE, G\u00fcnay A. Nationwide prevalence of dental caries in Turkish children: a meta-analysis. Children. 2025;12(6):777.","journal-title":"Children"},{"issue":"4","key":"7522_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.22514\/jocpd.2024.074","volume":"48","author":"AY Alzahrani","year":"2024","unstructured":"Alzahrani AY, et al. The influence of parental oral health literacy on children\u2019s oral health: a scoping review. J Clin Pediatr Dentistry. 2024;48(4):16\u201325.","journal-title":"J Clin Pediatr Dentistry"},{"key":"7522_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Al-Batayneh OB et al. Parental knowledge and acceptance of different treatment options for primary teeth provided by dental practitioners. Front Public Health, 2019. Volume 7 :322 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2019.00322}","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2019.00322"},{"issue":"3","key":"7522_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"507","DOI":"10.1007\/s40368-025-01002-z","volume":"26","author":"C Ninou","year":"2025","unstructured":"Ninou C, et al. Knowledge, attitudes and preferences of parents\/guardians regarding dental treatment of their children\u2019s primary teeth: a questionnaire cross-sectional study. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2025;26(3):507\u201316.","journal-title":"Eur Arch Paediatr Dent"},{"issue":"3","key":"7522_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"595","DOI":"10.1057\/s41271-024-00492-3","volume":"45","author":"H Lee","year":"2024","unstructured":"Lee H, et al. Oral health is an integral part of maternal and child health. J Public Health Policy. 2024;45(3):595\u2013601.","journal-title":"J Public Health Policy"},{"issue":"1","key":"7522_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1445","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-024-05213-6","volume":"24","author":"K Wu","year":"2024","unstructured":"Wu K, et al. The influence of parents\u2019 oral health literacy and behavior on oral health of preschool children aged 3\u20136 years- evidence from China. BMC Oral Health. 2024;24(1):1445.","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"7522_CR10","first-page":"87","volume":"4","author":"S Mobaraki","year":"2021","unstructured":"Mobaraki S, Av\u015far A. Early childhood caries risk factors. Turkish J Health Sci Life. 2021;4(3):87\u201395.","journal-title":"Turkish J Health Sci Life"},{"issue":"1","key":"7522_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-021-01482-7","volume":"21","author":"A Elamin","year":"2021","unstructured":"Elamin A, Garemo M, Mulder A. Determinants of dental caries in children in the middle East and North Africa region: a systematic review based on literature published from 2000 to 2019. BMC Oral Health. 2021;21(1):237.","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"7522_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Chinnakotla B, et al. Associations between maternal education and child nutrition and oral health in an Indigenous population in Ecuador. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph20010473.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20010473"},{"key":"7522_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Alrashdi M. Influences of maternal nutrition and lifestyle factors on early childhood oral health: a systematic review of mechanisms and intervention strategies. Children. 2024. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/children11091107.","DOI":"10.3390\/children11091107"},{"key":"7522_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2017.08.039","volume":"120","author":"CG Krause","year":"2018","unstructured":"Krause CG, et al. A short food literacy questionnaire (SFLQ) for adults: findings from a Swiss validation study. Appetite. 2018;120:275\u201380.","journal-title":"Appetite"},{"key":"7522_CR15","first-page":"333","volume":"21","author":"H Durmus","year":"2019","unstructured":"Durmus H, G\u00f6kler ME, Havlioglu S. Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the short food literacy questionnaire among university students. Prog Nutr. 2019;21:333\u20138.","journal-title":"Prog Nutr"},{"issue":"2","key":"7522_CR16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.3233\/MNM-190363","volume":"13","author":"ME G\u00f6kler","year":"2020","unstructured":"G\u00f6kler ME, Durmu\u015f H, Havlio\u011flu S. Food literacy can described adequate? Optimizing cut-off scores for the short food literacy questionnaire (SFLQ). Mediterranean J Nutr Metabolism. 2020;13(2):119\u201326.","journal-title":"Mediterranean J Nutr Metabolism"},{"key":"7522_CR17","first-page":"1","volume":"1","author":"P Okyay","year":"2016","unstructured":"Okyay P, Abac\u0131gil F. T\u00fcrkiye sa\u011fl\u0131k okuryazarl\u0131\u011f\u0131 \u00f6l\u00e7ekleri g\u00fcvenilirlik ve ge\u00e7erlilik \u00e7al\u0131\u015fmas\u0131. An\u0131l Matbaa. 2016;1:1\u2013104.","journal-title":"An\u0131l Matbaa"},{"issue":"3","key":"7522_CR18","first-page":"6","volume":"1","author":"G AREN","year":"2015","unstructured":"AREN G, TOLGAY CG. Beslenmenin \u00c7ocuklarda Di\u015f \u00c7\u00fcr\u00fcklerine Etkisinin De\u011ferlendirilmesi. Turkiye Klinikleri Pediatr Dentistry-Special Top. 2015;1(3):6\u201311.","journal-title":"Turkiye Klinikleri Pediatr Dentistry-Special Top"},{"issue":"4","key":"7522_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"376","DOI":"10.24832\/jpnk.v16i4.469","volume":"16","author":"S Pintauli","year":"2010","unstructured":"Pintauli S. Analisis Hubungan Perilaku Pemeliharaan Kesehatan Gigi Dan mulut Terhadap status Kesehatan Gigi Dan mulut Siswa SD Dan SMP Di Medan. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Kebud. 2010;16(4):376\u201390.","journal-title":"Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Kebud"},{"key":"7522_CR20","volume":"38","author":"MS Shahrabi","year":"2024","unstructured":"Shahrabi MS, Paryab M, Fard MJK. Correlation of the Apgar score with dental caries in 3-to 5-year-old Iranian children. Med J Islamic Repub Iran. 2024;38:46.","journal-title":"Med J Islamic Repub Iran"},{"issue":"3","key":"7522_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"260","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1834-7819.2010.01232.x","volume":"55","author":"A Sanders","year":"2010","unstructured":"Sanders A, Slade G. Apgar score and dental caries risk in the primary dentition of five year olds. Aust Dent J. 2010;55(3):260\u20137.","journal-title":"Aust Dent J"},{"issue":"5","key":"7522_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"416","DOI":"10.3390\/children8050416","volume":"8","author":"G Kitsaras","year":"2021","unstructured":"Kitsaras G, et al. Bedtime oral hygiene behaviours, dietary habits and children\u2019s dental health. Children. 2021;8(5):416.","journal-title":"Children"},{"issue":"11","key":"7522_CR23","first-page":"p2050","volume":"48","author":"G Moradi","year":"2019","unstructured":"Moradi G, et al. Evaluation of oral health status based on the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Iran J Public Health. 2019;48(11):p2050.","journal-title":"Iran J Public Health"},{"issue":"2","key":"7522_CR24","first-page":"69","volume":"11","author":"M Dastan","year":"2023","unstructured":"Dastan M, Shaikh A, Ankam S. Assessment of caries incidence by DMFT index among school going children among school going children. J Adv Med Dent Sci Res. 2023;11(2):69\u201372.","journal-title":"J Adv Med Dent Sci Res"},{"issue":"3","key":"7522_CR25","first-page":"133","volume":"26","author":"S \u015eahin","year":"2009","unstructured":"\u015eahin S, et al. E\u011fitim d\u00fczeyinin gen\u00e7 eri\u015fkin Erkeklerde a\u011f\u0131z sa\u011fl\u0131\u011f\u0131na Etkisinin de\u011ferlendirilmesi. Gazi \u00dcniversitesi Di\u015f Hekimli\u011fi Fak\u00fcltesi Dergisi. 2009;26(3):133\u20139.","journal-title":"Gazi \u00dcniversitesi Di\u015f Hekimli\u011fi Fak\u00fcltesi Dergisi"},{"issue":"1","key":"7522_CR26","first-page":"52","volume":"31","author":"Y Bayraktar","year":"2020","unstructured":"Bayraktar Y, Bahad\u0131r HS. Assessing the oral health literacy, oral health related quality of life and oral health status in adult patients. Atat\u00fcrk \u00dcniversitesi Di\u015f Hekimli\u011fi Fak\u00fcltesi Dergisi. 2020;31(1):52\u20138.","journal-title":"Atat\u00fcrk \u00dcniversitesi Di\u015f Hekimli\u011fi Fak\u00fcltesi Dergisi"},{"issue":"1","key":"7522_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"224","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-021-01545-9","volume":"21","author":"H Alraqiq","year":"2021","unstructured":"Alraqiq H, Eddali A, Boufis R. Prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among school-aged children in Tripoli, Libya: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2021;21(1):224.","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"7522_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2022\/2006088","volume":"2022","author":"O Al-Rashdan","year":"2022","unstructured":"Al-Rashdan O, et al. Mother\u2019s characteristics and socioeconomic status as possible risk factors for children\u2019s caries in Jordan. Int J Dent. 2022;2022(1):2006088.","journal-title":"Int J Dent"},{"issue":"12","key":"7522_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1395","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034510379601","volume":"89","author":"Jr W Vann","year":"2010","unstructured":"Vann W Jr, et al. Oral health literacy among female caregivers: impact on oral health outcomes in early childhood. J Dent Res. 2010;89(12):1395\u2013400.","journal-title":"J Dent Res"},{"issue":"12","key":"7522_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.19082\/3421","volume":"8","author":"E Khodadadi","year":"2016","unstructured":"Khodadadi E, et al. Parents\u2019 oral health literacy and its impact on their children\u2019s dental health status. Electron Physician. 2016;8(12):3421.","journal-title":"Electron Physician"},{"issue":"5","key":"7522_CR31","first-page":"275","volume":"15","author":"R Yazdani","year":"2018","unstructured":"Yazdani R, Esfahani EN, Kharazifard MJ. Relationship of oral health literacy with dental caries and oral health behavior of children and their parents. J Dentistry (Tehran Iran). 2018;15(5):275.","journal-title":"J Dentistry (Tehran Iran)"},{"issue":"2","key":"7522_CR32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.4103\/ijdr.IJDR_676_18","volume":"32","author":"K Sowmya","year":"2021","unstructured":"Sowmya K, Puranik MP, Aparna K. Association between mother\u2019s behaviour, oral health literacy and children\u2019s oral health outcomes: a cross-sectional study. Indian J Dent Res. 2021;32(2):147\u201352.","journal-title":"Indian J Dent Res"}],"container-title":["BMC Oral Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s12903-025-07522-w","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12903-025-07522-w.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12903-025-07522-w.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]],"date-time":"2026-01-23T12:30:14Z","timestamp":1769171414000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1186\/s12903-025-07522-w"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]}},"alternative-id":["7522"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12903-025-07522-w","relation":{},"ISSN":["1472-6831"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1472-6831","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]]},"assertion":[{"value":"1 August 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"8 December 2025","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"19 December 2025","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Hatay Mustafa Kemal University (Date: 22.04.2021, Decision No: 09) and the study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Participants were informed of the study details before giving written informed consent.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"<!--Emphasis Type='Bold' removed-->Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing Interests"}}],"article-number":"159"}}