Anthropometric Status, Diet, and Dental Caries among Schoolchildren

Chin-En Yen, Yuh-Yih Lin and Suh-Woan Hu
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Chin-En Yen: Department of Early Childhood Development and Education, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413, Taiwan
Yuh-Yih Lin: Department of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Suh-Woan Hu: Institute of Oral Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-12

Abstract: Childhood dental caries and obesity are prevalent health problems. Results from previous studies of the caries–obesity relationship are conflicting. This study aimed to assess the association between anthropometric status and dental caries among schoolchildren, taking into account dietary habits, oral hygiene, and sociodemographic factors. This cross-sectional study recruited 569 children aged 6–12 years from five elementary schools in central Taiwan. Each child underwent an oral health examination and anthropometric measurements. The DMFT (decayed, missing due to caries, and filled permanent teeth) and deft (decayed, extracted, and filled primary teeth) indexes were calculated to record caries experience. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on food intake frequency and other related factors. The World Health Organization’s reference data was applied to define weight status: obese, overweight, and normal/underweight. The results showed that the mean (±standard deviation) deft and DMFT scores were 2.3 ± 2.6 and 0.7 ± 1.2, respectively, among participating children. The prevalence of obesity and overweight was 18.1% and 18.5%, respectively. After comprehensive evaluation of potential confounders, weight status was not an independent predictor of DMFT or deft scores in the negative binomial regression models. In conclusion, weight status was not associated with caries scores in primary or permanent teeth among 6–12 year-old schoolchildren.

Keywords: body mass index; dental caries; obesity; overweight; children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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