Abstract
Background: The Yi ethnic group is the sixth largest minority in China. The aim of this study was to investigate dental caries status among Yi preschool children in the Yunnan province, China. Method: This cross-sectional study invited 5-year-old Yi children using multistage cluster sampling. Two trained and calibrated dentists examined the children in kindergartens. The children’s dental caries experience was assessed using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index. Visual plaque on an indexed tooth of each six sextants was recorded and the oral hygiene status was assessed using the Visible Plaque Index. Parents completed questionnaires that surveyed their educational attainment. The questionnaires also collected information about the children’s demographics, snacking habits, oral-health-related behaviors and dental visit experiences. The associations between caries experiences and potential factors were analyzed using zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Results: All 452 invited children (249 boys, 55%) participated in this study with a response rate of 100%. Dental caries prevalence rate was 83%. The mean dmft score and decayed teeth score were 5.2 ± 4.4 and 5.1 ± 4.4, respectively. Almost half of the children (n = 211, 47%) had visible plaque on four or more of the six sextants. Most (n = 366, 81%) of the children had not visited a dentist in the prior 12 months. Regression analysis found the children’s caries experience was associated with their dental visit experience. Conclusion: The great majority of the Yi preschool children experienced dental caries and almost all of the cavities were not restored. Their oral hygiene was poor and visible plaque was commonly found on their teeth.
Highlights
China’s population is comprised of 56 ethnic groups
Scattering in the Tibetan-Yi-Corridor and Wumeng Destitute Areas, the Yi nationality is known as the ‘Lolo’ population, and they have a common ancestor with the Tibetan, Nakhi and
2% (n = 2) of the recruited children had begun to brush their teeth before 2 years old, 3% (n = 13) of the children had never used toothpaste, and 13%
Summary
China’s population is comprised of 56 ethnic groups. According to the data from the Tabulation on the population census of the People’s Republic of China, the Yi ethnic group is the sixth largest minority in China with a population of 8,714,393 [1]. Scattering in the Tibetan-Yi-Corridor and Wumeng Destitute Areas, the Yi nationality is known as the ‘Lolo’ population, and they have a common ancestor with the Tibetan, Nakhi and. Located along the southwest border of China, Yunnan is China’s most diverse province, with 26 unique ethnic minorities living there for generations, and it holds the largest population of the Yi nationality [5]. The Yi nationality is the largest minority group in Yunnan. A number of Yi autonomous areas exist in the Yunnan province.
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