{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T23:41:06Z","timestamp":1782862866593,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,24]],"date-time":"2023-10-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1698105600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oral. Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is more prevalent in nations where a larger portion of the population resides below the poverty line. This study aimed to evaluate the connections between maternal awareness, attitudes, practices related to oral health, and the occurrence of ECC among children aged 3\u20135 years in Bangladesh, a low\u2013middle income country with high level of poverty.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>This cross\u2013sectional study recruited mother\u2013child pairs with a focus on children aged 3\u20135 years from low socioeconomic backgrounds in Trishal, Bangladesh. Data collected included maternal oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Clinical examinations were conducted to check for dental plaque on the upper central incisors' labial surfaces. ECC was identified using the ICDAS II index criteria. Associations between maternal oral health knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and children's plaque score and caries status were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression, and adjusting for confounding variables (child's age, gender, mother's age, education, and number of children).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Among 532 mother-child pairs, 491 (93.2%) mothers were unaware of the role of fluoride in preventing caries, while 516 (97%) recognized the importance of using fluoridated toothpaste during brushing. Additionally, 520 (97.7%) mothers reported not knowing how to brush their child's teeth, and 87 (16.4%) brushed their children's teeth twice daily. Visible dental plaque was observed in 420 (78.9%) children, and 321 (60.3%) had ECC. Higher plaque score increased the odds of ECC in the study population (AOR: 5.617, 95% CI: 3.511\u20138.987).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>Mothers of preschool children with low socioeconomic status were poorly aware of caries preventive behaviors and had suboptimal oral health practices for their children. The plaque score was the only oral health factor that seems to increase the risk for ECC among children with low socio-economic status in Bangladesh. It is imperative to prioritize support and interventions aimed at improving oral hygiene practices to reduce ECC risk in this population.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2023.1244359","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,24]],"date-time":"2023-10-24T21:49:12Z","timestamp":1698184152000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Maternal factors associated with early childhood caries among 3\u20135-year-old children with low socio-economic status in Trishal, Bangladesh"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"Farzana","family":"Haque","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Morenike Oluwatoyin","family":"Folayan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jorma Ilmari","family":"Virtanen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","first-page":"1","article-title":"American academy of pediatric dentistry reference manual 2011\u20132012","volume":"33","year":"2011","journal-title":"Pediatr Dent"},{"key":"B2","year":""},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-019-0991-2","article-title":"Association between early childhood caries and poverty in low and middle income countries","volume":"20","author":"Folayan","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1066","DOI":"10.2105\/ajph.2018.304466","article-title":"Prevalence and data availability of early childhood caries in 193 united nations countries, 2007\u20132017","volume":"108","author":"Tantawi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am J Public Health."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03262847","article-title":"Maternal education is an independent determinant of cariogenic feeding practices in the first year of life","volume":"13","author":"Feldens","year":"2012","journal-title":"Eur Arch Paediatr Dent"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.3329\/updcj.v1i1.13945","article-title":"Dental caries and associated factors among 2\u20135 years children attending OPD of a selected dental hospital in Bangladesh","volume":"1","author":"Khan","year":"2011","journal-title":"Update Dent Coll J"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1590\/pboci.2020.007","article-title":"The role of mother\u2019s knowledge, attitudes, practices in dental caries on vulnerably preschool children","volume":"20","author":"Luz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Pesqui Bras Odontopediatria Cl\u00edn Integr"},{"key":"B8","year":""},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.3390\/dj10070138","article-title":"Prevalence of dental caries in children in mymensingh and its associated risk factors: a cross-sectional study","volume":"10","author":"Sultana","year":"2022","journal-title":"Dent J"},{"key":"B10","year":""},{"key":"B11","year":""},{"key":"B12","author":"Ferdos","year":""},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100179","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wdp.2020.100179","article-title":"Is there any interaction effect of mothers\u2019 education and their bargaining power on children\u2019s nutritional status? Evidence from rural Bangladesh","volume":"18","author":"Hossain","year":"2020","journal-title":"World Dev Perspect"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.7916\/thejgh.v7i2.6639","article-title":"Mother\u2019s healthcare response to child illness: a slum-based cross-sectional study in Dhaka city, Bangladesh","volume":"7","author":"Siddiqi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Columbia Univ J Glob Health"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"03","DOI":"10.31080\/ASDS.2021.05.1179","article-title":"Assessment of maternal knowledge, attitude and practice towards development of nursing caries among preschool going children in Bangladesh","volume":"5","author":"Faruqui","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Sci Dent Sci"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.3329\/bmjk.v43i1-2.13015","article-title":"Prevalence of dental caries in the primary dentition among under five children","volume":"43","author":"Rahman","year":"2010","journal-title":"Bangladesh Med J Khulna"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"292","DOI":"10.30476\/DENTJODS.2020.81811.0","article-title":"The effect of oral health educational intervention program among mothers of children aged 1\u20136, based on the theory of planned behavior","volume":"21","author":"Soltani","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Dent"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"441","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0528.2008.00430.x","article-title":"Caries increment in children aged 3\u20135 years in relation to parents\u2019 dental attitudes: oslo, Norway 2002 to 2004","volume":"36","author":"Skeie","year":"2008","journal-title":"Community Dent Oral Epidemiol"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1111\/jphd.12040","article-title":"Validation and impact of caregivers\u2019 oral health knowledge and behavior on children\u2019s oral health status","volume":"38","author":"Wilson","year":"2016","journal-title":"Pediatric Dent"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-263x.2007.00861.x","article-title":"Mothers as facilitators of oral hygiene in early childhood","volume":"18","author":"Mohebbi","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int J Paediatr Dent"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"513","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-publhealth-040119-094318","article-title":"Disparities in access to oral health care","volume":"41","author":"Northridge","year":"2020","journal-title":"Annu Rev Public Health"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.19184","article-title":"Socioeconomic factors associated with the risk and prevalence of dental caries and dental treatment trends in children: a cross-sectional analysis of national survey of children\u2019s health (NSCH) data, 2016\u20132019","volume":"13","author":"Vasireddy","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2195","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20032195","article-title":"Fewer children in families associated with lower odds of early childhood caries: a sample from three countries","volume":"20","author":"Park","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2018\/1415873","article-title":"Early childhood caries: epidemiology, etiology, and prevention","volume":"2018","author":"Meyer","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Dent"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.4103\/0970-4388.28073","article-title":"Early childhood caries and dental plaque among 1\u20133-year-olds in Tehran, Iran","volume":"24","author":"Mohebbi","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.5005\/jp-journals-10005-1089","article-title":"International caries detection and assessment system (ICDAS): a new concept","volume":"4","author":"Gugnani","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int J Clin Pediatr Dent"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-6831-6-s1-s14","article-title":"Dental plaque as a biofilm and a microbial community\u2013implications for health and disease","volume":"6","author":"Marsh","year":"2006","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"433","DOI":"10.1007\/s40368-020-00576-0","article-title":"Maternal knowledge on early childhood caries and barriers to seek dental treatment in Jordan","volume":"22","author":"BaniHani","year":"2021","journal-title":"Eur Arch Paediatr Dent"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.23804\/ejpd.2019.20.04.02","article-title":"Prevalence and determinants of early childhood caries in Italy","volume":"20","author":"Colombo","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Pediatr Dent"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.15171\/joddd.2014.023","article-title":"Social and behavioral determinants for early childhood caries among preschool children in India","volume":"9","author":"Jain","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Dent Res Dent Clin Dent Prospects"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"215","DOI":"10.1002\/cre2.272","article-title":"Oral health behaviour, attitude towards, and knowledge of dental caries among mothers of 0-to 3-year-old children living in kaunas, Lithuania","volume":"6","author":"Petrauskien\u0117","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Exp Dent Res"},{"key":"B32","volume-title":"Ending childhood dental caries: WHO implementation manual","year":"2019"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2018.00064","article-title":"Parental factors influencing the development of early childhood caries in developing nations: a systematic review","volume":"6","author":"Rai","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front Public Health"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Oral Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/froh.2023.1244359\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,24]],"date-time":"2023-10-24T21:49:17Z","timestamp":1698184157000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/froh.2023.1244359\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,24]]},"references-count":33,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/froh.2023.1244359"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/froh.2023.1244359","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-4842"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-4842","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,24]]},"article-number":"1244359"}}