Oral Health Literacy among Caregivers in Bangalore City, India

Purpose: To assess caregiver's oral health literacy of children aged 3-6 years in Bangalore city. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 635 child/caregiver dyads from a sample of children aged 3-6 years who were selected from anganwadis and preschools in Bangalore city. Demographic details were collected using structured questionnaire. Caregiver literacy was measured using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30). Results: Among 635 child/caregiver dyads, caregiver's and children's mean ages were 33.45 years(SD = 3.36) and 5.28 years (SD =0.67), respectively. The mean literacy score was 14.25 (SD= 7.67). The results also indicated that there was an association between socio-demographic variables such as age, education, income, occupation, socioeconomic status and caregivers' oral health literacy. Conclusion: Caregiver's oral health literacy is influenced by sociodemographic factors. Oral health literacy is potential determinant and as impact on oral health outcomes in young children.