Oral Self-care of Muslim Primary Caregivers and Care of Their Children’s Oral Health Aged 3-5 Years Old in a Muslim Community, Trang Province

Abstract

Objective: To understand the daily oral health care of Muslims primary caregivers. Behavior of oral health care for their children and the relationship between oral health care of Muslims primary caregivers, oral health care for their children and tooth decay in children.

Materials and Methods: The qualitative research was conducted in a child development center in Trang province. All researched children, between 3 to 5 years old, lived in Muslim families. The data collection was based on the informants who were screened by two strategies: 1) the questionnaires distributed to 57 primary caregivers, and 2) purposive sampling was done based on the difference of their religious knowledge relating to oral health, that of education and that of economic status. Their willingness to offer in-depth information was also included. Then, seven cases of primary caregivers were found. Next, an in-depth interview, group discussion and non-participatory observation were conducted, including the scanning of dental caries status of their children. Data analysis was done by typological analysis and analytic inductive technique.

Result: Oral health was viewed by most caregivers as a minor component among the total concern for health. It will become an issue only when it causes an interruption to daily living. The care of their children with oral health problems was found likely to be consistent with the self-care patterns of caregivers. The behavior of oral health care for children were based on the time allocation and direction of care. Only the children whose caregivers had sufficient time for monitoring and care in the direction that promotes good oral health, achieved good oral health. We also found that, the cleanliness of Muslims ablution was very different from cleanliness of dental personnel in terms of meaning and cleanliness measurement.

Conclusion: Oral self-care of the Muslims caregivers and the care of their children’s oral health had a consistent tendency. Muslim children’s oral health were relied on the matter of time allocated and direction of care by their caregivers and there was a mild association relating to religious knowledge.