Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Bangladeshi Female Sex Workers toward Their School -Going Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Children born into prostitution are at risk of facing barriers in accessing the healthcare sector. This research aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of female sex workers regarding their school-going children’s oral health, as well as the oral health status of their children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 180 female sex worker mothers/ institutional caregivers and female sex worker’s school-going children from March 2023 to February 2024 using a structured questionnaire. The caries condition and gingival health were assessed on their children using the DMFT/dmft and gingival index(GI). At the same time, their plaque and calculus levels were evaluated using the calculus index(CI) and plaque index (PI) respectively. Result: 79% of the mothers or caregivers possessed good knowledge of oral health, 77.2% maintained a positive attitude, and 62.8% were well-informed about the proper oral health practices for their children. Children living with sex worker mothers/institutional caregivers who had higher educational attainment were 3 times more likely to practice good oral health hygiene than those with mothers/caregivers of low educational level (OR=3.27, β:1.11, p-value<0.05, CI=1.36-7.87). Similarly, children living with mothers/caregivers who had good oral health knowledge scores tended to have 3 times higher oral health practice scores compared to those with poor oral health knowledge(OR=3.20, β:1.16, p-value<0.05, CI=1.36-7.87). Conclusion: Our study suggests that although FSW mothers/ institutional caregivers have better oral health knowledge regarding their children, they are unable to put this into practice for their children. Government-sponsored dental health camps should be made available to address the oral health needs of the targeted community. An educational approach aimed at both the sex worker mother and the children should be designed so that the children can develop improved oral hygiene practices.