Analysis of Mothers Willingness for Age 1 First Dental Visit of Their Child using Andersens Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization
Andersens behavioral model; First dental visit; Health services utilization; Infant oral health; Mother willingness
Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a preventable disease among children under 6 years of age.The first dental visit (FDV) is a preventive model endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is designed to improve oral health outcomes, yet the FDV attendance rate before the age of 1 is low globally, especially in India. Aims: To investigate maternal willingness to attend the FDV within 1 year of age and explore associations with predisposing, enabling, and need factors using Andersens behavioral model for health services utilization. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among mothers of children aged 915 months. A validated questionnaire was administered to 640 mothers visiting vaccination centers in two hospitals. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics and logistic regression to evaluate factors influencing FDV willingness. Results: Willingness to attend FDV within 1 year of age was significantly influenced by predisposing factors, such as oral health knowledge, perceived barriers, and susceptibility to caries. Enabling factors, such as socioeconomic status and family support, showed minimal influence, while need factors, including the perceived oral health of the child, strongly correlated with FDV willingness. Findings revealed low awareness and attendance rates for FDV in the study population. Conclusion: First dental visit attendance among infants in the study population is critically low, highlighting the need for targeted awareness campaigns. Pediatric healthcare professionals should actively promote oral health and FDV as preventive measures during well-baby visits to enhance acceptance and utilization. Clinical significance: This studys focus on analyzing mothers willingness to pursue the FDV at age 1, using Andersens behavioral model of health service utilization, which provides actionable insights into the multifactorial drivers behind health-seeking behavior. Understanding how predisposing, enabling, and need-based factors influence maternal decision-making not only aids in identifying barriers to early dental care but also hi hli hts o ortunities to tailor ublic health interventions The Author(s).
Devraj, Indira M.; Kumar, Praveen P.S.; Anusha, U.; Rajani, H.S.; Girish, M.S.; Dhull, Kanika S.
International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry;Volume;18;pp.S94-S98
Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd
All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access
https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10005-3405 https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105027516810?origin=resultslist
Devraj I.M., Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, JSS Dental College and Hospital, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, JSS University, Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Mysuru, India; Kumar P.P.S., Department of Dentistry, Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, Karnataka, Mysuru, India; Anusha U., Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, JSS Dental College and Hospital, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, JSS University, Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Mysuru, India; Rajani H.S., Department of Pediatrics, JSS Hospital, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, JSS University, Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Mysuru, India; Girish M.S., Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, JSS Dental College and Hospital, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, JSS University, Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Mysuru, India; Dhull K.S., Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences (KIDS), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Odisha, Bhubaneswar, India