Parental Self‐Efficacy and Family Support in Oral Health and Nutrition of Children With Disabilities

Child: Care, Health and Development, vol.52, no.5, pp.1-17, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)

ABSTRACT

Background: Parents of children with disabilities often manage complex nutritional and oral health needs, yet the factors sup-

porting their competence remain insufficiently understood.

Aim: This study examined the relationships of parental practices, parental self-efficacy, family support and caregiving charac-

teristics with nutrition and oral health management among children with disabilities.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design was used. The sample comprised 195 parents of children with

disabilities. Data were analysed using independent-samples t tests, one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc com-

parisons, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression.

Results: Parental self-efficacy and family nutritional awareness differed significantly across selected sociodemographic and car-

egiving characteristics. Family support was the strongest predictor of parental self-efficacy. Greater preparedness for disability,

social security coverage, higher maternal education and cooperative child behaviour during dental examinations were also asso-

ciated with higher self-efficacy. Paternal education was not a significant predictor. Caregiving difficulty was positively associated

with family nutritional awareness, suggesting that greater caregiving demands may encourage adaptive health information-

seeking and management behaviours. A high prevalence of dental pain was reported among children, indicating potential defi-

ciencies in preventive oral health care, timely service access and caregiver education.

Conclusion: Parental competence in managing the nutrition and oral health of children with disabilities is shaped by interper-

sonal, educational and structural resources. Interventions should strengthen family support, caregiver preparedness, access to

social protection and practical guidance on preventive oral health and nutrition. Particular attention should be directed to fami-

lies experiencing limited resources and children with unmet dental care needs in practice.