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Algethami RG, Tamur SA, Alsofyani RM, Alfaifi HH, Qattan FM, Alharthi MS, Aljaid MS, Almalki SA, Khayat AM, Alzahrani AS, Khalifa EA, Shams AM. Parents' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Baby Walkers, Baby Car Seats, Oral Health, and Child Screen Time in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus 2024; 16:e52464. [PMID: 38371110 PMCID: PMC10873485 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Awareness of age-appropriate milestones and developmental stages is crucial for parents to identify any potential delays or concerns early on and seek appropriate interventions. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of caregivers in Saudi Arabia regarding baby walkers, baby car seats, early dental visits, and screen time for young children. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents in Saudi Arabia using a structured questionnaire. A convenience and snowball sampling method was employed to recruit participants from various regions of the country. The questionnaire aimed to assess parents' knowledge regarding the recommended use of baby walkers and baby car seats, their awareness of the importance of early dental visits, and their understanding of appropriate screen time guidelines. Additionally, the survey explored parents' practices toward these recommendations. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, and associations between variables were examined using the chi-squared test. Results A total of 1318 participants were included. The analysis revealed that the majority of the participants (n=1066,81.3%) use a baby walker, while only (n=292,22.3%) consider that they should never be used. Overall, (n=388,29.6%) of the participants never used a car seat for their infants or children. In terms of early childhood dental visits, approximately (n=518,39.5%) of the participants reported actually taking their child to the dentist within the recommended timeframe. Regarding screen time for children, (n=148,11.3%) of the participants reported that their children spend >5 hours daily in front of the screen. Conclusions Raising parents' awareness about recent childcare recommendations and safe practices is crucial for promoting optimal child development, preventing health problems, facilitating evidence-based decision-making, reducing risks, enhancing parental confidence and empowerment, and nurturing positive parent-child relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rawan G Algethami
- Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU
| | - Shadi A Tamur
- Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU
| | - Rawan M Alsofyani
- Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU
| | | | - Faris M Qattan
- Medicine, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eman A Khalifa
- Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU
| | - Anawr M Shams
- Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU
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