Purpose To delineate parental perception of social media as a vector of acquiring a dental home for their children. Methods A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire was conducted at Sidra Medicine, the only tertiary pediatric center in Qatar at the time of the study. Results 58 questionnaires were completed by caregivers of children (response rate = 96 %). Around 80% of surveyed parents were between the ages of 30 and 39 years with 53% being females, and 60 % were college graduates. Only 6 % of parents rated their child’s dental health as excellent. Upon asking parents “when do you think you should start dental care for your child?”,12 % stated before teeth eruption, while 44 % answered when teeth erupt, 17 % after the age of 2 years and 10% were convinced that dental care should be sought if the child has dental problems. Moreover, and while 77 % of parents believe in a dental home, only 46% of the children has had a dental assessment in the 12 months preceding this study. All of the participants use social media on a daily basis and all of parents would like to receive messages on social media regarding oral health. Moreover, almost 60% of parents believe that social media will influence their decision in acquiring a dental home for their children and 54 % stated that social media should increase the focus on dental health. However, the majority of them agreed that there is a difference if the message was sent by a medical office or commercial dental company. Almost 60 % of the participants opted for the option to receive reminders from the primary care physician office on the social media regarding dental home care. Finally, associations between gender, age and educational status with questions related to parental perception of social media as a vector of acquiring a dental home for their children, were not statistically significant. Conclusion Social media, a place where a large proportion of the population inhabits, could be a crucial vector in promoting the concept of a dental home. The role of a pediatrician is crucial in initiating the process of acquiring a dental home for this young population.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Section on Oral Health Program|
March 01 2021
Social Media Influence In Acquiring Dental Home For Preschool Children: A New Concept In Qatar
Mohamed A. Hendaus, MD, FAAP;
Mohamed A. Hendaus, MD, FAAP
(1) Weil Cornell Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Rasha Abbas Omer Abbas, MD;
Rasha Abbas Omer Abbas, MD
(2) Sidra Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Mohamed Elkalaf, MD;
Mohamed Elkalaf, MD
(2) Sidra Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Eman Bamashmous, MD;
Eman Bamashmous, MD
(2) Sidra Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Tasneem Abdalla, MD;
Tasneem Abdalla, MD
(2) Sidra Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Mohamed Dokalijah, MD;
Mohamed Dokalijah, MD
(2) Sidra Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Aly Soliman, MD;
Aly Soliman, MD
(2) Sidra Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Mohamed Ali, MD;
Mohamed Ali, MD
(2) Sidra Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Ahmed Alhammadi, MD
Ahmed Alhammadi, MD
(1) Weil Cornell Medicine, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Pediatrics (2021) 147 (3_MeetingAbstract): 778–779.
Citation
Mohamed A. Hendaus, Rasha Abbas Omer Abbas, Mohamed Elkalaf, Eman Bamashmous, Tasneem Abdalla, Mohamed Dokalijah, Aly Soliman, Mohamed Ali, Ahmed Alhammadi; Social Media Influence In Acquiring Dental Home For Preschool Children: A New Concept In Qatar. Pediatrics March 2021; 147 (3_MeetingAbstract): 778–779. 10.1542/peds.147.3MA8.778b
Download citation file:
257
Views
Comments