Parenting Style and Their Influence on Children’s Dental Health in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, found that most parents use an authoritative parenting style, but it does not affect children's dental caries, though it may increase fruit consumption.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into parenting styles in Riyadh and their limited impact on children's dental health.

Findings

Authoritative parenting was the most common style among 88.7% of mothers and 81.4% of fathers.

No association was found between authoritative parenting and dental caries prevalence.

Higher authoritative parenting scores in mothers were linked to increased fruit consumption in children.

Abstract

Background: Families, including mothers and fathers, create a safe, stable environment if they work together in setting rules for their children. Research on parenting style among Saudi Arabian parents in Riyadh is lacking. Analyzing and assessing these factors will facilitate the formulation of evidence-based methods to enhance parenting practices, which is the main aim of this study. Methodology: This cross-sectional study conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, explored the parenting style of primary school parents using a validated and widely used questionnaire. Clinical examination for the prevalence of children’s dental caries was performed according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Additionally, parents were asked to complete a structured questionnaire to evaluate their child’s oral health by using the WHO’s Oral Health Questionnaire for Children. Results: In the present study, the survey was completed by 506 parents from 14 schools and the authoritative parenting style emerged as the most common among participants, with 88.7% for mothers and 81.4% for fathers. The findings indicated there was no evidence of an association between mothers’ and fathers’ authoritative parenting style with the prevalence of dental caries [OR = 1.021, 95% CI: 0.79, 1.31, p = 0.871], [OR = 0.940, 95% CI: 0.71, 1.22, p = 0.653], respectively. However, there was evidence of an association between mothers’ authoritative parenting style and higher fruit consumption [OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.028, 1.570, p = 0.027], meaning fruit consumption increased with higher authoritative style scores. Conclusions: The present study indicated that the authoritative parenting style was the most often reported among participants. This study found no evidence of an association between parenting style and the prevalence of dental caries or brushing frequency; however, a difference in fruit and vegetable consumption was seen, with increased intake linked to mothers’ authoritative parenting style.