Socio-demographic factors associated with oral health knowledge, attitude, practice and frequency of cariogenic food consumption among 11- to 12-year-old primary schoolchildren in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Introduction: This study determined socio-demographic factors associated with oral health knowledge, attitude, practice and frequency of cariogenic food consumption among 11- to 12-year-old primary schoolchildren in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study using validated self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 11- to 12-year-old schoolchildren attending government national primary schools in Barat Daya and Seberang Perai Selatan districts of Pulau Pinang, excluding those with intellectual disabilities or visual impairments. A multi-stage sampling method was used. Results: A total of 218 schoolchildren participated in the study. The majority demonstrated good oral health knowledge (71.1%) and attitude (60.1%), but nearly half (44.5%) had never used dental floss. Cariogenic foods were mostly moderately consumed. Factors significantly associated with schoolchildren’s oral health knowledge were ethnicity (p<0.001) and father’s/male guardian’s education level (p=0.029), whereas attitude was significantly associated with ethnicity (p<0.001), father’s/male guardian’s education level (p=0.046), mother’s/female guardian’s occupation (p=0.036) and monthly household income (p=0.016). Smoking habit was significantly associated with ethnicity (p=0.004) and mother’s/female guardian’s education level (p<0.001). Rural schoolchildren had significantly higher mean cariogenic food frequency score than urban schoolchildren (p=0.039). Oral health knowledge was positively correlated with attitude (r=0.554, p<0.001), while attitude was negatively correlated with frequency of cariogenic food consumption (r=-0.245, p<0.001). Conclusion: Ethnicity, parents’/guardians’ education level, mother’s/female guardian’s occupation and monthly household income were associated with schoolchildren’s oral health knowledge, attitude and practice. Rural schoolchildren consumed cariogenic foods more frequently compared to urban schoolchildren.