Socioeconomic Factors and Oral Health-Related Behaviours Associated with Dental Caries in Preschool Children from Central Italy (Province of Ascoli Piceno)

Alessandro Nota,Silvia Caruso,Gianmaria F Ferrazzano,Simona Tecco,Tiziana Cantile,Aniello Ingenito,Roberto Gatto

doi:10.1155/2019/7981687

Abstract

Background Dental caries is a serious oral health concern with high prevalence in preschool children. Aim To assess the association among oral health-related behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and dental caries in Italian preschool children. Design 513 preschool children from 3 to 6 years of age, enrolled in nursery schools in central Italy, represent the population of the present study. The children underwent dental clinical examination and were divided on the basis of their caries experience in the primary dentition (“Yes” or “No”). Nonparametric analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the contribution of oral health-related behaviors and socioeconomic factors to the caries experience in the primary dentition. Results 419 children were caries free, and 94 children had caries experience in the primary dentition, corresponding to the 18.4% of participants. Different oral health-related behaviors and socioeconomic factors resulted to be associated with caries development. In particular, the mother's foreign nationality results in a strong predictive factor. Conclusions The multivariate logistic model revealed factors significantly affecting caries experience in the primary dentition, which were the mother's nationality, the number of dental visits in a year, and the personal impression by the mother.

Highlights

Over the last decades, epidemiological data reveal a significant decline in caries prevalence in children and adolescents from industrialized Western countries [1, 2], dental caries is still a common oral disease, with a prevalence ranging around 60–90% [3, 4], even diffused among preschool children
The influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on dental health has been shown to be stronger for preschool children than older children [19, 20], because the preschool period is the time when wrong oral health habits, caries patterns, and risk factors are being established, and it is the ideal time to act with preventive strategies to establish healthy trends which can have a lifelong influence [21, 22]
E adjusted multivariate step revealed that factors significantly affecting the caries experience were the mother’s non-Italian nationality; the number of dental visits in a year; and concerns of caries expressed by the mother

Summary

Background

Dental caries is a serious oral health concern with high prevalence in preschool children. Aim. To assess the association among oral health-related behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and dental caries in Italian preschool children. E children underwent dental clinical examination and were divided on the basis of their caries experience in the primary dentition (“Yes” or “No”). Nonparametric analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the contribution of oral health-related behaviors and socioeconomic factors to the caries experience in the primary dentition. Different oral health-related behaviors and socioeconomic factors resulted to be associated with caries development. E multivariate logistic model revealed factors significantly affecting caries experience in the primary dentition, which were the mother’s nationality, the number of dental visits in a year, and the personal impression by the mother Conclusions. e multivariate logistic model revealed factors significantly affecting caries experience in the primary dentition, which were the mother’s nationality, the number of dental visits in a year, and the personal impression by the mother

Introduction

Results

Conclusions