Do Parents' Oral Health Literacy Levels Influence Their Response to Interventions to Improve Their Knowledge of Traumatic Dental Injuries?

ABSTRACT

Abstract Objective: To measure the influence of oral health literacy (OHL) level in the improvement of knowledge about traumatic dental injuries (TDI) after an educational intervention. Material and Methods: A total of 257 parents of children aged 0-12 years had their OHL level evaluated (BREALD-30). A leaflet with information about how to respond to TDI Emergency was developed and delivered to the parents. A questionnaire about attitudes towards TDI was administered before (TDIQ1) and after (TDIQ2) parents read the educational leaflet. The hypotheses were evaluated by non-parametric tests, correlation analysis and logistic regression. Results: The mean OHL score was 21.6. The means of correct answers in TDIQ1 were 5.5 and 5.9 (p = 0.066) and in TDIQ2 were 6.6 and 7.7 (p=0.003) between the groups with inadequate and marginal/adequate OHL, respectively. In the logistic regression, the total score of BREALD-30 and the maximum number of correct answers in TDIQ2 maintained statistical association when adjusted for schooling, gender, age of the parents, family income and the number of correct answers in the first application of the questionnaire. Conclusion: The level of OHL influenced the improvement of parents' knowledge about emergency care in cases of TDI in children from an educational intervention using a leaflet, and this intervention was more effective for parents with adequate OHL.