Early childhood caries: parents’ knowledge, attitude and practice towards its prevention in refugee camps in Erbil, Iraq

BACKGROUND: Early childhood caries is a significant oral health issue in socially deprived communities, including refugees, where prevention plays a crucial role in minimizing the challenges and costs associated with treating early childhood caries. To improve oral health outcomes, it is important to understand parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices. This study aims to assess the oral health knowledge, practices, and attitudes of refugee parents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 503 parents/caregivers residing in Erbil’s refugee camps in Iraq, with healthy preschool children aged one to six years. Structured questionnaire was utilized in conducting individual interviews with parents to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The questionnaire collected demographic information and data on access to oral health services. RESULTS: A total of 503 out of 505 households actively participated in the study, resulting in a high response rate of 99.6%. Demographic analysis revealed that the majority of respondents were female parents, constituting 92.05% of the sample. Within the participant pool, the primary age groups were 26–35 years (55.3%) and 18–25 years (26.2%). Educational background analysis revealed that a significant proportion of parents had attained a secondary school education (29.6%) or primary school education (27.4%). Statistical analysis further established a noteworthy association between educational background and knowledge level. The investigation of participants’ knowledge uncovered notable gaps and misconceptions pertaining to early childhood caries, with an overall mean score of 5.1. Assessing the overall attitude of parents, a mean score of 3.87 (SD = 1.29) suggested a generally unfavorable attitude towards oral hygiene practices and prevention of early childhood caries. In terms of actual practices, parents demonstrated a mean practice score of 5.7. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes knowledge gaps and misconceptions among parents in refugee camps regarding early childhood caries in preschool children. Findings revealed low knowledge scores, limited understanding of hidden sugars, delayed oral hygiene practices, and limited knowledge about fluoride.