Analysis of Mothers' Willingness for Age 1 First Dental Visit of Their Child using Andersen's Behavioral Model of...

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a preventable disease among children under 6 years of age. The first dental visit (FDV) is a preventive model endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is designed to improve oral health outcomes, yet the FDV attendance rate before the age of 1 is low globally, especially in India.

To investigate maternal willingness to attend the FDV within 1 year of age and explore associations with predisposing, enabling, and need factors using Andersen's behavioral model for health services utilization.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among mothers of children aged 9-15 months. A validated questionnaire was administered to 640 mothers visiting vaccination centers in two hospitals. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics and logistic regression to evaluate factors influencing FDV willingness.

Willingness to attend FDV within 1 year of age was significantly influenced by predisposing factors, such as oral health knowledge, perceived barriers, and susceptibility to caries. Enabling factors, such as socioeconomic status and family support, showed minimal influence, while need factors, including the perceived oral health of the child, strongly correlated with FDV willingness. Findings revealed low awareness and attendance rates for FDV in the study population.

First dental visit attendance among infants in the study population is critically low, highlighting the need for targeted awareness campaigns. Pediatric healthcare professionals should actively promote oral health and FDV as preventive measures during well-baby visits to enhance acceptance and utilization.

This study's focus on analyzing mothers' willingness to pursue the FDV at age 1, using Andersen's behavioral model of health service utilization, which provides actionable insights into the multifactorial drivers behind health-seeking behavior. Understanding how predisposing, enabling, and need-based factors influence maternal decision-making not only aids in identifying barriers to early dental care but also highlights opportunities to tailor public health interventions.

Indira MD, Praveen Kumar PS, Anusha U, et al. Analysis of Mothers' Willingness for Age 1 First Dental Visit of Their Child Using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2025;18(S-1):S94-S98.