The Mediating Role of Metacognitive Beliefs in Self-Compassion and Schizophrenia Recovery.

Children with disabilities experience multiple physical, psychological, nutritional and social health challenges that significantly affect their overall well‐being. These challenges may include metabolic disorders, nutritional deficiencies, poor oral hygiene, motor skill limitations, feeding difficulties and chronic health conditions (Çalışkan and Bayat ; Devnani and Hegde ; Karadağ and Bilsin ; Yılmaz et al. ). Feeding disorders are particularly common among children with special healthcare needs, with studies reporting that 30%–80% of these children experience feeding difficulties that may become chronic and lead to malnutrition, growth problems and developmental delays (Çoban and Özcebe ; Yoldaş and Yılmazer ). Inadequate nutrition may not only impair physical development but also exacerbate existing disability‐related health conditions (United Nations Children's Fund ). Consequently, early multidisciplinary interventions are considered essential for preventing long‐term adverse health outcomes and improving quality of life (Andrew and Sullivan ). Oral and dental health represents another important yet frequently overlooked aspect of health among children with disabilities. Research consistently demonstrates that these children experience higher rates of untreated dental caries, poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease and unmet dental treatment needs than their typically developing peers (Mehta et al. ; Patidar et al. ). Recent disability‐focused evidence suggests that these oral health inequalities cannot be explained solely by individual oral hygiene practices. Rather, oral health outcomes are shaped by a complex interplay of family, social, behavioural and healthcare system factors. Al‐Mashhadani et al. (), in a systematic review and thematic synthesis, identified stigma, communication barriers, insufficient professional training, gaps in caregiver oral health education and inadequate medical–dental collaboration as major barriers to the utilization of dental services among children with disabilities. Similarly, Alwadi et al. () emphasized the importance of caregiver education, service accessibility and disability‐sensitive care in improving access to oral healthcare. In addition, barriers to accessing dental services, insufficient caregiver oral health education and challenges in maintaining regular oral hygiene routines may contribute to poorer oral health outcomes in this population (Alwadi et al. ; Al‐Mashhadani et al. ; Krishnan et al. ). Parental‐perspective studies have also reported that families frequently encounter difficulties in finding appropriately trained dental professionals and face financial, transportation and service‐related barriers that restrict access to oral healthcare services (Asiri et al. ; Alwadi et al. ). Collectively, these findings indicate that oral health among children with disabilities should be examined within a broader family‐centred and systems‐oriented framework. Because children with disabilities often depend heavily on caregivers for daily hygiene practices, dietary management and healthcare utilization, parental behaviours and beliefs become central determinants of health outcomes. One factor that has received increasing attention in family‐centred health research is parental self‐efficacy. According to Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, self‐efficacy refers to individuals' beliefs in their capability to organize and execute actions required to manage specific situations successfully (Bandura ). The theory proposes that health‐related behaviours emerge through reciprocal interactions among personal factors, environmental influences and behavioural processes. Within this framework, parental self‐efficacy may influence children's oral and nutritional health through a knowledge–attitude–behaviour pathway. Parents with greater health‐related knowledge and stronger confidence are more likely to develop positive attitudes, supervise daily oral hygiene practices, seek preventive dental care and support healthier dietary habits.