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

BACKGROUND: Parents of children with disabilities often manage complex nutritional and oral health needs, yet the factors supporting their competence remain insufficiently understood. AIM: This study examined the relationships of parental practices, parental self-efficacy, family support and caregiving characteristics 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 comparisons, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Parental self-efficacy and family nutritional awareness differed significantly across selected sociodemographic and caregiving 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 associated 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 deficiencies 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 interpersonal, 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 families experiencing limited resources and children with unmet dental care needs in practice.