Pathways of oral health knowledge, attitudes, practices, and status in married couples

This study aimed to assess the pathways from modifiable risk factors to oral health status in husbands and wives, and correlation in oral health KAP and status between married couples in Hong Kong.

This was a cross-sectional survey using a combination of random household and purposive sampling. Socio-economic status (SES), smoking, oral health knowledge (K), attitudes (A), and practices (P) of individuals were collected by questionnaire. Tooth status, periodontal status, and oral hygiene status were collected by oral examination.

Altogether, 432 families (359 husbands and 419 wives) with a 5- to 7-year-old child participated in this study. Husbands' oral health status was found to be directly associated with their oral health behaviors and smoking habit and indirectly with their socio-economic status, oral health knowledge, and attitudes. The explained variance of husbands' oral health status was 47.2%. Wives' oral health status was only directly associated with their oral health behaviors and indirectly with their socio-economic status, oral health knowledge, and attitudes. The explained variance of wives' oral health status was 53.2%. The correlation coefficient between couple's oral health practices and status was 0.98 and 0.43, respectively.

The hypothesized pathways from socio-economic status and modifiable factors to the oral health status in husbands and wives are not rejected. Oral health practices and status were correlated among married couples.