Caries Prevalence Associated with Oral Health-Related Behaviors among Romanian Schoolchildren

Ruxandra Sava-Rosianu, Guglielmo Campus, Anamaria Matichescu, Octavia Balean, Mihaela Adina Dumitrache, Patricia Ondine Lucaciu, Luminita Daguci, Magda Calina Barlean, Laurentiu Maricutoiu, Mariana Postolache, Ramona Dumitrescu, Daniela Jumanca and Atena Galuscan
Additional contact information
Ruxandra Sava-Rosianu: Translational and Experimental Clinical Research Centre in Oral Health, Department of Preventive, Community Dentistry and Oral Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300040 Timisoara, Romania
Guglielmo Campus: Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Anamaria Matichescu: Translational and Experimental Clinical Research Centre in Oral Health, Department of Preventive, Community Dentistry and Oral Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300040 Timisoara, Romania
Octavia Balean: Translational and Experimental Clinical Research Centre in Oral Health, Department of Preventive, Community Dentistry and Oral Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300040 Timisoara, Romania
Mihaela Adina Dumitrache: Oral Health and Community Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, UMP “Carol Davila”, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
Patricia Ondine Lucaciu: Department of Oral Health, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Luminita Daguci: Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 200585 Craiova, Romania
Magda Calina Barlean: Department of Oro-Dental Diagnosis and Geriatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania
Laurentiu Maricutoiu: Department of Psychology, West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
Mariana Postolache: Department of Program Implementation and Coordination, Romanian Ministry of Health, 010024 Bucharest, Romania
Ramona Dumitrescu: Translational and Experimental Clinical Research Centre in Oral Health, Department of Preventive, Community Dentistry and Oral Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300040 Timisoara, Romania
Daniela Jumanca: Translational and Experimental Clinical Research Centre in Oral Health, Department of Preventive, Community Dentistry and Oral Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300040 Timisoara, Romania
Atena Galuscan: Translational and Experimental Clinical Research Centre in Oral Health, Department of Preventive, Community Dentistry and Oral Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300040 Timisoara, Romania

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: Oral health-related behaviors and living conditions play an important role in general and oral health. This study aimed to evaluate caries prevalence and severity in schoolchildren residing in rural and urban areas of Romania, and to correlate these with oral health-related behaviors. An estimation of the required sample size was conducted (sampling error of ±3% at a 95% confidence level), followed by the stratification of administrative units and then the selection of 49 schools. The Hurdle approach was used to analyze the dataset, requiring two sets of analyses for each outcome variable: a multilevel binary model to predict prevalence, and a multilevel Poisson analysis using only non-zero values. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the dentinal caries index was 4.96 (5.33). Girls were more likely to have non-zero restoration codes (? = 0.14, SE = 0.08, p < 0.05). Low education levels of each parent were associated with an increased likelihood of having non-zero carious tooth surfaces (? = 0.23, SE = 0.06, p = 0.01; ? = 0.22, SE = 0.06, p < 0.01). The presence of cavities was predicted by the consumption of carbonated soft drinks (? = 0.19, SE = 0.07, p < 0.01), candies (? = 0.13, SE = 0.06, p < 0.01), sweetened milk (? = 0.12, SE = 0.06, p < 0.05), tea (? = 0.16, SE = 0.08, p < 0.05), or cocoa (? = 0.13, SE = 0.06, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the non-zero values of the dentinal caries index were more likely in rural schools (? = ?0.37, SE = 0.11, p < 0.01), and a negative association between the county development index and the fillings/restorations index (? = ?0.01, SE = 0.01, p < 0.05) was also established. The outcome of this research highlights that the presence of caries (dentinal caries index) in Romanian schoolchildren is influenced by their socioeconomic background, as well as their specific consumption behaviors.

Keywords: dental caries; prevalence; severity; oral health; behavior; children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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