Factors Associated with Early Childhood Bottle Weaning Behavior of Parents in Well Baby Clinic Selaphum Hospital, Roi Et Province

Abstract

     This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the bottle weaning behavior in early childhood and test the predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors that associated with the bottle weaning behavior of parents who attended Well Baby Clinic in Selaphum hospital, Roi Et province. The sample consisted of 59 parents. Data were collected using the questionnaires with the reliability coefficient ranging between 0.704-0.735. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Fisher's Exact Test.

     The results showed that the majority of the samples (86.4%) were female. Mean age was 35.63 years. Most samples (81.4%) were parents. The children started using bottles at an average age of 4.85 months. Around 72.5 percent fed still water after milk. Almost half (47.5%) put their children to bed with a bottle. Children stopped using their bottles at aged of 1 year and 6 months accounted for 72.5 percent. The characteristic factors including monthly household income and relationship with children were statistically associated with bottle weaning (p-value=0.047 and 0.025, respectively).

     As the results, stop using bottle should be done intentionally and regularly. All family members must understand in the same way in order to encourage children to have appropriate dental health behaviors together with early tooth decay prevention. They should also study the condition of tooth decay in children who prolonged
bottle use.