Association between post-earthquake living conditions and children's toothbrushing habits in Hatay, Turkey: a cross-sectional study

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess parent-reported changes in children’s toothbrushing habits after the 06 February 2023, earthquakes in Hatay Province and to examine whether these changes were associated with post-earthquake living conditions. Methods: The study included 363 parents residing in Hatay Province after the earthquakes, whose children presented to a pediatric dentistry clinic. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured 21-item questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A decrease was observed in children’s toothbrushing frequency after the earthquake. The rate of brushing once daily declined from 41.32% to 36.64%, and the rate of brushing twice daily or more decreased from 32.23% to 30.30%, whereas the rate of rare brushing increased from 23.97% to 30.58%. Overall, 31.96% of the participants reported a decline in their children’s toothbrushing habits. A significant association was found between changes in living environment and changes in toothbrushing habits (p < 0.05), with a greater decline observed among children whose living environment had changed four or more times. In addition, the post-earthquake living environment was significantly associated with the primary reason why the child was unable to brush their teeth (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Children’s toothbrushing habits declined after the earthquake, and this decline was particularly associated with changes in living environment and housing conditions. These findings suggest that, in efforts to protect children’s oral health after a disaster, the provision of hygiene materials alone may be insufficient, and adequate, stable, and supportive living conditions should also be ensured.

Earthquake; Oral hygiene; Toothbrushing habits; Child; Housing instability; Post-disaster; Türkiye

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