Association between childhood adverse experiences and proper toothbrushing in children under 5 in Peru: a secondary analysis of the 2021 national survey Asociación entre la exposición a situaciones adversas en la niñez y cepillado dental adecuado en niños menores de 5 años en el Perú: análisis secundario de una encuesta nacional en el año 2021

Abstract

Certain childhood experiences, such as physical punishment and domestic violence, can have long-term effects on children's dental health. There have been no studies examining these aspects in Peru. This study aimed to evaluate the association between physical punishment and exposure to domestic violence with adequate tooth brushing in Peruvian children under 5 years of age. An analytical cross-sectional design was used. The exposure variables were physical punishment received from the father or mother and the child witnessing violence towards their mother by the last partner. The outcome variable was adequate tooth brushing. Generalized linear models (GLM) with a Poisson link function were used to identify the association. The results were presented as prevalence ratios (PR). The prevalence of adequate tooth brushing was 22.76%. Children of mothers who were victims of domestic violence but did not witness it had a 20.0% lower probability of adequate tooth brushing (PR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.71 to 0.91; p < 0.001). Children who received only spanking had a 16% higher probability of adequate tooth brushing (PR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.29; p = 0.007). An association was found between children whose mothers were victims of intimate partner violence, without reporting that the child witnessed it, and less adequate tooth brushing. An association was also found between physical punishment by spanking and more adequate tooth brushing.