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Association between Nutritional Status and Early Childhood Caries in Indian Children
H V N Sai Krishna1, E Manaswini2, Vijay Y Kumar3
1Department of Public Health Dentistry, Meghna Institute of Dental Sciences, Meghna Institute of Dental Sciences, Nizamabad, Telangana, India.
Insights
This study found no significant link between body mass index (BMI) and early childhood caries in Indian children. Nutritional status did not significantly impact dental caries prevalence in the studied age group.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Public Health Nutrition
- Child Health Research
Background:
- Early childhood caries (ECC) is a significant public health issue.
- Nutritional status, assessed by Body Mass Index (BMI), may influence oral health outcomes.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the Body Mass Index (BMI) status of 3-6-year-old children.
- To investigate the correlation between nutritional status and early childhood caries (ECC).
- To provide data from Vikarabad, Telangana, India.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 350 children aged 3-6 years.
- Caries experience measured using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index.
- Anthropometric measures including weight, height, and BMI were recorded.
Main Results:
- Most children (69%) had a normal BMI-for-age.
- Mean dmft values varied across BMI categories (underweight: 4.9, normal: 4.6, overweight: 2.7, obese: 4.4).
- No statistically significant differences in dmft were observed between BMI categories.
Conclusions:
- There was no statistically significant association between decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) and BMI-for-age.
- A non-significant negative correlation (r = -0.023, P = 0.66) was observed between dmft and BMI-for-age.
Aims And Objectives:
To assess the body mass index (BMI) status and to correlate between nutritional status and early childhood caries among 3-6-year-old children in Vikarabad, Telangana, India.
Materials And Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 children attending the outpatient department of Pedodontia in Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery, Vikarabad. Caries experience was recorded using dmft index (WHO 1997); various anthropometric measures, such as weight, BMI, and height, were recorded as per the standard guidelines. Pearson correlation coefficient and chi square test were used to determine significant differences. Data were analyzed using the statistical analysis software (SPSS version 17.0 Chicago IL, USA).
Results:
Maximum number of participants (69%) were with normal BMI- for-age followed by underweight, overweight, and obese categories. The mean dmft values for each BMI category among the underweight, normal, overweight, and obese children were 4.9 ± 4.0, 4.6 ± 3.3, 2.7 ± 1.9, and 4.4 ± 3.0, respectively, which was statistically not significant.
Conclusion:
No significant association was found between dmft and BMI-for-age, rather a negative correlation existed between dmft and BMI-for-age (r = -0.023), which was not statistically significant (P = 0.66).
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