Family environment and signs of ADHD associated with oral health literacy at onset of adolescence

Relationships between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), family factors, and oral health literacy (OHL) in adolescents are unclear. The objective of this research was to investigate whether the family environment and signs of ADHD are associated with oral health literacy at the onset of adolescence.

A cross-sectional study was performed with 448 twelve-year-old adolescents enrolled in schools in Cajazeiras, Brazil. Adolescents responded to an instrument measuring oral health literacy (the Brazilian version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry [BREALD-30]) and a validated questionnaire addressing family cohesion and adaptability (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales [FACES III]). Parents and teachers answered subscales of the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Questionnaire (SNAP-IV) and a socioeconomic questionnaire. Adjusted Poisson regression analysis was employed for the data analysis (P < .05).

The results of the study are:

• Greater oral health literacy was found in adolescents with higher family cohesion scores those whose mothers had more than 8 years of schooling and those whose families earned more than the Brazilian minimum salary
• Higher family adaptability scores and more signs of ADHD (teachers' reports) were associated with lower oral health literacy.

Thus, the researchers concluded that oral health literacy in adolescents was influenced by family adaptability and cohesion, signs of ADHD, maternal schooling, and family income.

Reference:

irella de Fátima Liberato de Moura, Ramon Targino Firmino, Érick Tássio Barbosa Neves, Edja Maria Melo de Brito Costa, Saul Martins Paiva, Fernanda Morais Ferreira, Ana Flávia Granville-Garcia, Attention-deficit Disorder, Family Factors, and Oral Health Literacy, International Dental Journal, Volume 72, Issue 4, 2022, Pages 565-571,ISSN 0020-6539 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2021.09.005.