Goal Attainment-Based Parent Education for ECC Prevention

NCT07460271 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: TDK-2025-16367
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Preventing early childhood caries (ECC) requires improving parental knowledge and behavior, as parents play a critical role in establishing oral and dental health practices during early childhood. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a parent-focused educational intervention, delivered within the nursing discipline and grounded in King's Theory of Goal Attainment, in preventing ECC. A pretest-posttest randomized controlled experimental design was employed. The study was conducted with 100 parents of children aged 0-3 years who presented for treatment at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry. Parents in the intervention group received ECC-prevention education supported by booklets, brochures, and videos.

Conditions

Early Childhood Caries (ECC)

Keywords

Child; Primary Tooth Decay; Parents; Education; Knowledge; Behavior

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Parental Knowledge Score

  The Early Childhood Caries Prevention Knowledge and Behavior Questionnaire was used to assess parents' knowledge and practices regarding the prevention of early childhood caries (ECC). The questionnaire was developed by the research team based on a review of the relevant literature and King's purposive data collection approach. It consists of 26 items evaluating parental knowledge and behaviors related to oral hygiene practices, dietary habits, fluoride use, dental visit timing, and risk factors for ECC. Each correct response receives 1 point, and incorrect or "do not know" responses receive 0 points. The total score ranges from 0 to 26. Higher scores indicate greater parental knowledge and more appropriate oral health behaviors related to the prevention of early childhood caries. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, which was found to be 0.727, indicating acceptable internal consistency.

  Baseline, 3 months

Study Arms (2)

Experimental group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group receive structured parent education sessions, including oral hygiene training, diet counseling, and guidance on early childhood caries prevention.

Behavioral: Structured Parent Education

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group receive standard care, including routine oral health information provided during regular clinic visits, without structured educational sessions.

Interventions

Structured Parent Education BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the experimental group receive structured parent education sessions covering oral hygiene practices, diet counseling, fluoride use, and strategies for early childhood caries prevention. Sessions include interactive discussions, demonstrations, and take-home educational materials.

Also known as: Parent Education Program, Oral Health Training for Parents

Experimental group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 1 Year - 3 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Parents of children aged 0-3 years
• Ability to read, write, and speak Turkish
• Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Parents of children with chronic diseases
• Parents of children with special care needs
• Parents unwilling to participate in the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Karadeniz Technical University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Karadeniz Technical University

Rize, Centre, 53020, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Behavior

Study Officials

• Serpil Boran, MSc

  Karadeniz Technical University, Graduate School of Health Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: This is an open-label study. Both participants and investigators are aware of the group assignments, as the intervention involves structured parent education sessions.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Ilknur Kahriman, Professor Dr., Registered Nurse

Model Details: Parents of children aged 0-3 years are randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which receives structured oral health education, or the control group, which receives standard care. Outcomes include parental knowledge, oral hygiene behaviors, and incidence of early childhood caries in children.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 4, 2026
• First Posted: March 10, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2025
• Study Completion: February 28, 2026
• Last Updated: March 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)