Dataset Information

A cross sectional study examining social desirability bias in caregiver reporting of children's oral health behaviors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Our previous research (Pediatrics 2010:126) found a strong association between caregiver oral health literacy (OHL) and children's oral health status; however, we found a weak association with oral health behaviors (OHBs). We hypothesize that this may be due to social desirability bias (SDB). Our objectives were to compare caregivers' responses to traditional OHB items and newer SDB-modulating items, and to examine the association of caregiver literacy with OHBs.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study of 102 caregiver-child dyads, collecting data for OHBs using both traditional and new SDB-modulating items. We measured OHL using REALD-30, a validated word recognition test. We relied upon percent agreement and Cohen's kappa (k) to quantify the concordance in caregivers' responses and multivariate log-binomial regression to estimate the impact of OHL on OHBs.

Results

Caregivers' mean REALD-30 score was 20.7 (SD = 6.0), range 1-30. We found an association between OHL and 4 of 8 OHBs examined. A subset of behavior questions compared traditional versus SDB-modulating items: history of bottle-feeding: agreement = 95%, k = 0.83 (95% CL:0.68,0.99); daily tooth brushing: agreement = 78%, k = 0.25 (95% CL:0.04,0.46); fluoridated toothpaste use: agreement = 88%, k = 0.67 (95% CL:0.49,0.85). After controlling for caregivers' race, marital status and study site, higher literacy scores remained associated with a decreased prevalence of parental report of "decided not brush the child's teeth because it would be frustrating".

Conclusions

Agreement between responses was high for 2 of 3 behavior items. Item 3 (tooth brushing frequency) revealed discordance, likely due to SDB. Use of the SDB-modulating items appears to yield a better estimate of OHB.

SUBMITTER: Sanzone LA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3680187 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A cross sectional study examining social desirability bias in caregiver reporting of children's oral health behaviors.

Sanzone Lauren A LA Lee Jessica Y JY Divaris Kimon K DeWalt Darren A DA Baker A Diane AD Vann William F WF

BMC oral health 20130601

<h4>Background</h4>Our previous research (Pediatrics 2010:126) found a strong association between caregiver oral health literacy (OHL) and children's oral health status; however, we found a weak association with oral health behaviors (OHBs). We hypothesize that this may be due to social desirability bias (SDB). Our objectives were to compare caregivers' responses to traditional OHB items and newer SDB-modulating items, and to examine the association of caregiver literacy with OHBs.<h4>Methods</h ...[more]

PMID: 23725221

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Project description:BackgroundRegular meal consumption is considered an important aspect of a healthy diet. While ample evidence shows social inequalities in breakfast skipping among adolescents, little is known about social inequalities in breakfast skipping and skipping of other meals among young school-aged children. Such information is crucial in targeting interventions aimed to promote a healthy diet in children.MethodsWe examined data from 4704 ethnically diverse children participating in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Information on family socioeconomic position (SEP), ethnic background, and meal skipping behaviors was assessed by parent-reported questionnaire when the child was 6 years old. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations of family SEP (educational level, household income, employment status, family composition) and ethnic background with meal skipping behaviors, using high SEP children and native Dutch children as reference groups.ResultsMeal skipping prevalence ranged from 3% (dinner) to 11% (lunch). The prevalence of meal skipping was higher among low SEP children and ethnic minority children. Maternal educational level was independently associated with breakfast skipping ([low maternal educational level] OR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.24,3.94). Paternal educational level was independently associated with lunch skipping ([low paternal educational level] OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.06,2.20) and dinner skipping ([mid-high paternal educational level] OR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.20,0.76). Household income was independently associated with breakfast skipping ([low income] OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.40,4.22) and dinner skipping ([low income] OR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.22,4.91). In general, ethnic minority children were more likely to skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner compared with native Dutch children. Adjustment for family SEP attenuated the associations of ethnic minority background with meal skipping behaviors considerably.ConclusionLow SEP children and ethnic minority children are at an increased risk of breakfast, lunch, and dinner skipping compared with high SEP children and native Dutch children, respectively. Given these inequalities, interventions aimed to promote regular meal consumption, breakfast consumption in particular, should target children from low socioeconomic groups and ethnic minority children. More qualitative research to investigate the pathways underlying social inequalities in children's meal skipping behaviors is warranted.

Dataset Information

A cross sectional study examining social desirability bias in caregiver reporting of children's oral health behaviors.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

A cross sectional study examining social desirability bias in caregiver reporting of children's oral health behaviors.

Similar Datasets

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