CAREGIVER ORAL HEALTH LITERACY AND CHILDREN ORAL HEALTH STATUS: A RAPID REVIEW

Abstract

Oral health literacy (OHL) is the measure of how well an individual collects and comprehends oral health information, as well as his or her ability to subsequently make advisable oral health care decisions. Measures for OHL include a number of validated instruments from the literature, such as the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine and Dentistry (REALMD). Oral health status (OHS) is the measure of one’s current state of oral health, based upon clinical examination, evaluation of dental, medical and social histories, including results from and stability of previous treatment. In this rapid review, we examined literature in PubMed® to determine whether there is credible evidence of an association between caregiver oral health literacy and children oral health status. We searched using applicable MeSH subject heading and keyword terms, and no filters were applied. Two blinded reviewers screened 85 articles. Only peer-reviewed articles were included. Additionally, we only examined literature pertaining to children through 11 years old, that was published within the last 15 years. Ultimately, 6 articles met the inclusion criteria, which were established a priori. The credibility of the evidence of the included articles was determined using the appropriate Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal Checklists. Associations between caregiver OHL and children OHS were demonstrated across 83% of articles. There is credible evidence that caregiver OHL is associated with children OHS.