<![CDATA[Oral hygiene status in school-age children is one of the important indicators of oral health influenced by various factors, including parents’ characteristics. Parents’ characteristics such as education level, occupation, income, and knowledge play a role in shaping children’s habits in maintaining oral hygiene. This study aimed to determine the relationship between parents’ characteristics and oral hygiene status of school-age children at SDN 12 Banda Aceh. This study used a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design. The total sample consisted of 63 respondents selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to parents and direct examination of children’s oral hygiene status using the OHI-S index. Data analysis was carried out using univariate and bivariate analysis with the chi-square test. The results showed that most children had poor oral hygiene status, with 40 children (63.5%). The chi-square test results indicated a significant relationship between parents’ education level (p=0.002) and parents’ knowledge level (p<0.001) with children’s oral hygiene status. Meanwhile, parents’ occupation (p=0.620) and parents’ income (p=0.083) showed no significant relationship. It can be concluded that parents’ education and knowledge play an important role in determining the oral hygiene status of school-age children. Therefore, improving oral health education for parents is necessary to enhance children’s oral health maintenance habits.]]>
