Dataset Information

Emotional stimuli candidates for behavioural intervention in the prevention of early childhood caries: a pilot study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Oral diseases, such as early childhood caries (ECC), have a complex etiology with common, behaviour-related risk factors. Appropriately targeted behavioural intervention using effective tools can help to eliminate risk behaviour leading to ECC. The aim of this study was to ascertain which visual stimuli with a supporting text evoke the strongest emotional response in infants' mothers and, therefore, are suitable candidates for inclusion in behavioural interventions within the prevention of ECC.

Methods

Thirty-nine mothers of one-year-old children who filled out an originally designed electronic questionnaire, containing 20 visual stimuli with accompanying texts related to dental caries (10/10 with positive/negative intended emotional response), were included in this cross-sectional study. The emotional impact of each stimulus in the mothers was evaluated using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) technique, which represents three emotional dimensions: valence, arousal, and dominance.

Results

Each of the stimuli was assessed by the mothers of infants based on its emotional impact. The real emotional response (evaluated according to the median of valence) was in line with the primarily intended response in 90% of cases (p < 0.05). The text with a warning evoked a greater emotional response (evaluated according to the median of arousal) in mothers than only the informative instruction (p < 0.05). The relationship between arousal and valence (r = - 0.99; p < 0.05) indicates that the more aversive stimuli raise higher arousal. The significant correlation between valence and dominance shows that the more positive the stimuli, the higher feeling of control over the evoked emotion the mothers have (r = 0.83; p < 0.05), and, on the contrary, the lowest control over emotion is correlated with higher arousal (r = - 0.85; p < 0.05). Generally, mothers rated themselves as in high control of their emotions over the individual stimuli.

Conclusions

This pilot study proved that negative pictorial and text warnings about the risks of developing caries had the potential to evoke strong emotional responses in the mothers of infants. We identified three visual stimuli that could be included in future extensive motivation material in an attempt to affect the preventive behaviour of mothers, and thus the oral health of their infants.

SUBMITTER: Bartosova M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6379970 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectiveThe principal aim of this randomized clinical trial (RCT) was to test the effectiveness in the prevention of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) through an educational intervention program with the use of a printed guide for pediatricians and parents both designed by pediatric dentists.Materials and methodsAfter ethical approval, the first step was to design the educational guides, which were based on the information obtained from a focus group with pediatricians (n = 3), phone interviews with mothers to toddlers' (n = 7), and the best evidence available about children's oral health. For the RCT, 309 parents with their 10-12 months old children were randomly allocated to either the intervention or the control group. Parents in the intervention group received oral health education from the pediatricians supported by the printed guides. Parents in both groups received an oral health kit with a toothbrush and toothpaste at the first visit as well as at each 6-month follow-up visit. After 18 months the children were evaluated using ICDAS criteria.ResultsAt baseline, data were available from 309 children (49.8% girls). The mean age of the children was of 10.8 months (SD = 0.8) and 69.3% had not had their teeth brushed with toothpaste. After 18 months, a total of 28 (22%) children in the intervention group and 44 (24%) in the control group were clinically examined. Regarding the number of tooth surfaces with caries lesions, the children in the intervention group had a mean of 6.50 (SD = 6.58) surfaces, while the children in the control group had a mean of 5.43 (SD = 4.74) surfaces with caries lesions. This difference was not significant (p = 0.460).ConclusionThe RCT showed no effectiveness in caries-progression control. Despite this result, this study managed to identify barriers that do not allow pediatricians from offering parents adequate oral health recommendations. With this learning, it is possible to work on collaborative programs with pediatricians that over time likely will increase dental health by controlling for ECC.

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