Bilateral parent-child interactions in school-age children's tooth-brushing behaviors

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine bilateral dynamics between parents and children in influencing children's tooth-brushing behaviors. Methods: In-depth conversational interviews-a specific qualitative method-were conducted with 38 parents in urban Xiamen, China and Singapore to learn insights into parental strategies for encouraging tooth-brushing habits in 6- to 9-year-old children. The interviews also examined the range of responses from children toward these parental strategies. Results: Children usually do not comply with these tooth-brushing instructions from parents without a process of negotiation. Children's responses ranged from active resistant to compliant. Parents in Xiamen tended to use softer strategies and were more prone to be emotionally and behaviorally influenced by children's effort to thwart these strategies. Conversely, Singapore parents tended to demonstrate greater tenacity in negotiating with children. Conclusions: The process of developing children's tooth-brushing habits is not a unilateral from-parent-to-children process. Instead, it should be conceptualized as an ongoing interaction with bilateral power of influence from both parties.