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Association between dental caries and sociodemographic factors in children aged 5-12 years
Elmer Jehovani Portillo-Sorto1
1Universidad Evangélica de El Salvador, Facultad de Odontología, Observatorio de Salud Bucodental, San Salvador, El Salvador. jehovaniportillo@icloud.com.
Introduction:
Dental caries is a global public health issue, particularly in children, and is influenced by sociodemographic conditions.
Aim:
To assess the association between dental caries and sociodemographic factors in children aged 5-12 years in Victoria, Cabañas, El Salvador.
Materials And Methods:
A cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted among 137 children (48.2% boys, 51.8%girls), measuring dental caries using DMFT and dmft indices, and oral hygiene using the O'LearyPlaque Index. Sociodemographic data were obtained through caregiver questionnaires.
Results:
Caries prevalence was 63.5%. DMFT increased with age (highest in 10-12-year-old girls: mean = 5.44), while dmft declined (lowest in 12-year-old girls: mean = 0.56). Most children (98.5%) had poor oral hygiene. A weak but significant negative correlation was found between income and dmft (ρ = -0.189; p = 0.027). No other significant association was observed between caries indices and maternal education, income, or plaque index.
Conclusions:
Caries patterns differed significantly according to age and sex. Despite the high prevalence, most sociodemographic variables showed no strong statistical association with caries. Preventive interventions should focus on age- and sex-specific risks.
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