The Role of Parents and Its Relationship with Oral Hygiene of Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Children with intellectual disabilities face physical and cognitive challenges that affect personal hygiene, particularly oral health. This study aims to examine the relationship between parental roles and the level of oral hygiene among students with intellectual disabilities at SLB B-C Optimal. The study employed a correlational analytic design with a cross-sectional approach, involving 34 pairs of parents and children with intellectual disabilities. Data were analyzed using the Spearman Rank correlation test. Results showed that most parents had a good role (70.5%), yet 59% of the students had poor oral hygiene. A significant relationship was found between parental roles and students' oral hygiene (ρ = 0.024; r = 0.386), indicating a weak correlation. In conclusion, there is a weak but significant relationship between parental roles and the oral hygiene of students with intellectual disabilities.