Understanding parental perspectives on young children's oral health (≤ 4 years) growing up in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Amsterdam, the Netherlands: an exploratory study

Abstract Background Families' understanding towards oral health problems among young children is poorly studied. More insight into parents' experiences, especially of those living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, is needed to address persistent oral health inequalities. This qualitative st...

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Main Authors: Awani Balasooriyan (Author), Monique H. van der Veen (Author), Clarissa Calil Bonifácio (Author), Christine Dedding (Author)
Format: Book
Published: BMC, 2024-02-01T00:00:00Z.
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LEADER 00000 am a22000003u 4500
001 doaj_8389cd96b83c4de788d59ee4c6677f23
042 |a dc 
100 1 0 |a Awani Balasooriyan  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Monique H. van der Veen  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Clarissa Calil Bonifácio  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Christine Dedding  |e author 
245 0 0 |a Understanding parental perspectives on young children's oral health (≤ 4 years) growing up in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Amsterdam, the Netherlands: an exploratory study 
260 |b BMC,   |c 2024-02-01T00:00:00Z. 
500 |a 10.1186/s12889-024-18073-0 
500 |a 1471-2458 
520 |a Abstract Background Families' understanding towards oral health problems among young children is poorly studied. More insight into parents' experiences, especially of those living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, is needed to address persistent oral health inequalities. This qualitative study aims to explore parental perspectives on children's oral health (≤ 4 years) and the opportunities they see to improve children's oral health. Methods Forty-seven mothers and five fathers with different migration backgrounds from a disadvantaged neighbourhood in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, participated in our study. Semi-structured interviews (n = 27), participant observations (n = 7) and one focus group discussion were conducted. A thematic data analysis was used. Results Parents describe their daily life with young children as busy, hectic and unpredictable. Parents seem to be most concerned about parenting. Mothers, in particular, feel fully responsible for raising their children and managing daily complexities. While most parents value their children's oral health, they all experience challenges. Parents find it hard to limit daily candy intake and to handle unwilling children during tooth brushing. They feel limited support for these issues from their household, social network and professionals. Conclusion Parental struggles in children's oral health are complex and interrelated as they occur across family, societal, community and professional levels. Given the complex daily reality of families with young children, establishing and maintaining healthy oral health habits seems not at the top of parents' minds. They ask for advice in the upbringing of their children backed up by social support, increased attention to children's oral health within the community and professional assistance. Collaborating with parents as knowledgeable partners might be the first step in acting upon the endeavour to address oral health inequality among young children. 
546 |a EN 
690 |a Children 
690 |a Parents 
690 |a Child oral health 
690 |a Family life 
690 |a Vulnerable circumstances 
690 |a Oral health inequality 
690 |a Public aspects of medicine 
690 |a RA1-1270 
655 7 |a article  |2 local 
786 0 |n BMC Public Health, Vol 24, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2024) 
787 0 |n https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18073-0 
787 0 |n https://doaj.org/toc/1471-2458 
856 4 1 |u https://doaj.org/article/8389cd96b83c4de788d59ee4c6677f23  |z Connect to this object online.