• Preeya Attavanich D.D.S., M.P.H
• Yuttana Punya-ngarm D.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D. (Public Health Nutrition)
• Ravewan Punya-ngarm D.D.S., M.P.H.

Objective To identify the relationship of the socio-economic environment and health related behavior
of the parents to caries status of the children aged 3 years.

Materials and methods Two hundred and sixty-seven samples were randomly selected from 3 year
old children in Bangkok Metropolis who attended government and non-government nurseries during
official hours. The subjects were examined for their caries status according to the World Health
Organization's criteria. The purposive questionnaire were sent to the parents to assess their
socio-economic and health related behaviors. The socio-economic data included type of habitat and
family member, educational level, income level and type of occupation. The behavioral data
covered the knowledge, attitude and practice in child oral health care. The variables were statistically
analyzed by Pearsonûs correlation and stepwise multiple regression.

Results The educational level, income level and type of occupation as well as the knowledge, attitude
and practice in child oral health care were statistically significant when tested against dmft and dmfs
(p ≤ 0.05). The contradictory result was on the attitude and the dmfs. In the same way, the relation
between socio-economic status and health related behavior of the parents showed significant result
(p ≤ 0.05). By means of the stepwise multiple regression analysis, it was found that the knowledge
in child oral health care combined with the income level of the parents could significantly predict
the child caries status (p ≤ 0.01) and the percentage of explanation was 9.5 (R2 = 0.095).

Conclusion The knowledge in child oral health care of the parents was reversely correlated with
the occurrence of carious lesion. The power of prediction would increase when the knowledge in
child oral health care was combined with the income level of the parents.

(CU Dent J. 2008;31:261-72)