ASSESSMENT OF ORAL‑HEALTH LITERACY AMONG PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH RHEUMATOLOGIC DISEASE

Nasrin Bazgir, Maryam Kazem Pour*

Introduction: Oral health is particularly important in certain vulnerable groups, including children and patients with rheumatologic diseases, due to the need to maintain their overall health. Therefore, the present study was conducted. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 90 parents of children with rheumatologic diseases were examined. The sampling method was such that patients who met the eligibility and inclusion criteria and who visited a rheumatology subspecialty clinic or a pediatric dentistry specialist were enrolled in the study. The data collection tool consisted of 24 questions covering five domains: knowledge, comprehension, decision making, practice, and access. Ultimately, the overall parental health literacy score was categorized into four levels: high health literacy (scores 58–72), moderate health literacy (scores 43–57), low health literacy (scores 28–42), and very low health literacy (scores below 28). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 16. Result: Result showed, most participants were female (59; 53.6%), aged 41–45 years (37; 33.6%), had a high school diploma (52; 47.3%), and lived in urban areas (74; 67.3%). A significant relationship was observed between health literacy and gender, age, and place of residence. Health literacy was higher among women than men (P = 0.000), higher in the 31–35-year age group compared with other age groups (P = 0.04), and higher among urban residents than rural residents (P = 0.000). The mean (SD) overall health literacy score of parents was 44.39 (7.69), with a minimum score of 29 and a maximum score of 62. Based on the categorization of health literacy scores, 55.5% of parents had low health literacy and 34.5% had moderate health literacy. Conclusion: Considering that the health literacy of most parents regarding rheumatologic diseases was reported to be at moderate to low levels, conducting interventional studies aimed at improving their health literacy is recommended.