The effect of parental dental health behavior on that of their adolescent offspring

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effect of parental dental health behavior on that of their adolescent offspring. The data stemmed from The Norwegian Longitudinal Health Behavior Study performed in 1993 in the County of Hordaland in Norway and comprised separate questionnaires for both parents and a 16-year-old child in 436 family units. A compound measure of parental dental health behavior was applied in logistic regression analyses. The results showed mat there were statistically significant associations of use of dental floss, tooth brushing, and drinking of non-sugared mineral water among parents and their adolescent offspring. No significant gender interaction in the association between same- or different-sex parent-adolescent dyads was observed. These findings indicate mat parents function as social models for their offspring well into the adolescent period with regard to several dental health behaviors.