The association between parent education level, oral health, and oral-related sleep disturbance. An observational crosssectional study

Introduction Prevention of oral diseases in children is important for their long-term health. Parents play a crucial role in the health and wellness of their children. As such, it is important for parents to be well-informed about the importance of their children’s oral health, as well as the steps they can take to ensure that their children receive the best possible care. Objective To explore the relationship between parents’ education levels, children obesity, children oral health and oral-related sleep disorders. Methods Observational cross-sectional study. At the time of enrollment data regarding parents’ employment status and parents’ education level were collected. We also collected BMI and anamnestic data regarding the presence or not of oral-related sleep disorders in the last 3 months: snoring, chronic mouth breathing, sleep bruxism. Oral health was also evaluated for each subject through the DMFT (decayed, missing and filled teeth) index. Results We enrolled 183 subjects and their respective parents (181 mothers and 180). Using the Poisson regression models, we found that a higher DMTF index was associated with the unemployed status for both parents (father: coeff. 0.2929; p= 0.007; IC 95%: 0.080 – 0.505; mother: coeff. 0.256; p= 0.014; 95% IC; 0.0515785-0.461.) and with a lower education status for both parents (father: coeff. -0.279; p<0.001; IC 95%: -0.396 to -0.162. mother: coeff. -0.312; p<0.001; IC 95%: -0.4275607 to -0.19687). Concerning BMI, we found that a lower education level of the father was associated with a higher BMI of his children (coeff.: -1.13; p=0.029; 95% IC: -2.15 to -0.11). The unemployed status of the mother was associated with a higher BMI of her children (coeff. 1.93; 95% IC: 0.16-3.71; p=0.033). In addition, we found that a higher BMI of the children was associated with a higher likelihood of snoring (OR:1.11; p=0.004; 95% IC: 1.03-1.19) and chronic oral breathing (OR: 1.10; p= 0.014; 95% IC:1.01-1.19). Conclusion Parents’ education levels influence several health outcomes, including oral health and the risk of obesity. In turn, obesity can represent a risk factor for oral-related sleep disturbances. Parents play a crucial role in the health and wellness of their children. As such, it is important for parents to be knowledgeable about the importance of their children’s health, as well as the steps they can take to ensure that their children receive the best possible care.