NCT07460271

Goal Attainment-Based Parent Education for ECC Prevention

Assessing the Effectiveness of Parent Education on the Prevention of Early Childhood Caries Based on Goal Attainment Theory

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (actual)
• Sponsor: Karadeniz Technical University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 1 Year – 3 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

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.

Detailed description

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a common dental health problem affecting children under the age of three, which can lead to pain, infection, and long-term oral health issues. Parental knowledge and behaviors play a critical role in the prevention of ECC, as early habits significantly influence children's oral health outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of structured parent education in improving parental knowledge and oral hygiene practices, and in reducing ECC incidence in young children. This randomized controlled trial will include two groups: an experimental group receiving structured oral health education and a control group receiving standard care. A total of 100 parents with children aged 0-3 years who meet the inclusion criteria will be recruited at the Rize University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics. Participants will be randomly assigned to either group using a simple randomization method via an online randomization tool. Eligible participants include parents of healthy children without chronic diseases, special care needs, or mental/communication disorders. Participants must be able to read, write, and speak Turkish. Parents who do not meet these criteria will be excluded. The intervention consists of educational sessions on oral hygiene practices, diet, fluoride use, and early detection of dental caries. Parents in the control group will receive routine information and standard dental care without structured education. Primary outcomes include changes in parental knowledge scores and ECC incidence in children. Secondary outcomes include improvements in oral hygiene behaviors and adherence to preventive practices. Data will be collected through questionnaires, clinical examinations, and follow-up visits. Statistical analyses will compare outcomes between the experimental and control groups to determine the effectiveness of the parent education program.

Conditions

• Early Childhood Caries (ECC)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Structured Parent Education	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-02-01
• Primary completion: 2025-09-30
• Completion: 2026-02-28
• First posted: 2026-03-10
• Last updated: 2026-03-10

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)