Frequent Consumption Of Sweets Research Articles

Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the dietary practices of university students in Germany.

The dietary practices (DPs) of university students are influenced by many external factors. Therefore, we investigate how the DPs of students in Germany changed during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, what the main motivations were for those changes, and what effect the closure of university catering had on the DPs of students. A total of 560 students from two universities in Lübeck (Germany) were surveyed online during a pilot phase. The final online questionnaire was subsequently administered at 10 other German universities (399 respondents). The questionnaire surveyed sociodemographic factors, dietary habits, food consumption frequencies, and the relevance of university catering before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Regarding changes in DPs, similarities to previous studies were found, especially positive eating behaviors and an increasing interest in health- and nutrition-related sustainability. Students prepared meals freshly more often during the pandemic; consumed legumes, plant-based meats and dairy alternatives more often; and reduced their consumption of meat and milk compared to before the pandemic. The consumption frequency of sweets also decreased. It was observed that students consider eating communal in the university canteen to be highly relevant for their social interactions, which was only possible to a limited extent during the pandemic. In Germany, the DPs of university students as well as criteria regarding health and sustainability changed during the first 2 years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The social aspect of DPs became evident due to closed university catering. Still, changes in dietary patterns and eating habits were positively related to health and revealed some differences in the cross section of the population.

The Relationship between Dietary Habits and Periodontal Pathogens in a Sample of Romanian Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The role of diet in shaping oral microbiota and its potential contribution to the development of periodontal pathogens cannot be understated. This study aimed to explore the correlation between dietary habits and the prevalence of 11 periodontal pathogens among children and adolescents in Oradea, Romania. The identification of these pathogens was performed using the micro-IDent test kit, capable of detecting 11 specific periodontal pathogens. Bacterial sampling was conducted from the crevicular fluid in the morning, prior to brushing, followed by the completion of a brief questionnaire by parents. The questionnaire captured various aspects of the children's eating habits, including meal frequency, consumption of sweets, and hydration levels. The collected samples were dispatched to the laboratory for analysis, which provided insights into the abundance of microorganisms. The study encompassed 60 participants aged between 2 and 18 years, with the majority reported by their parents to have regulated meal timings, frequent sugar intake, and adequate hydration. The findings revealed significant associations between certain dietary factors and the presence of specific periodontal pathogens. Notably, the absence of breastfeeding was linked with the detection of Tannerella forsythia and Campylobacter rectus. Furthermore, frequent consumption of sweets corresponded with the presence of Capnocytophaga spp., which was particularly observed in individuals consuming sweets 2-3 times a day. Insufficient age-appropriate hydration showed an association with the prevalence of T. forsythia, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Capnocytophaga spp. In this sample, it became evident that eating habits and diet influenced the presence of several periodontal pathogens. The lack of breastfeeding was predominantly associated with positive results for T. forsythia and C. rectus, while inadequate hydration correlated more frequently with the presence of T. forsythia and P. micros. Moreover, frequent consumption of sweets was linked to the presence of Capnocytophaga spp.

The Impact of Common Acne on the Well-Being of Young People Aged 15-35 Years and the Influence of Nutrition Knowledge and Diet on Acne Development.

Acne is a disorder of sebaceous glands, and it most commonly develops on the face. The role of the diet in triggering and treating acne is controversial and has been widely debated in the literature. A knowledge of the environmental factors that contribute to acne could improve the patient's physical and emotional well-being, increase the efficacy of treatment, and minimize the risk of anxiety and depressive disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of acne on the daily lives and well-being of people aged 15-30 years, to analyze young people's knowledge about the influence of various foods and other dietary factors on the prevalence, severity, and treatment of acne, as well as their adherence to an anti-acne diet. The study was conducted between April 2021 and May 2022. A total of 1329 respondents, including 963 women and 366 men, participated in the study. In 99% of men and women respondents, acne breakouts were typically located on the face. An analysis of HADS scores revealed moderate anxiety in 57% of women (F) and 22.5% of men (M) respondents. Acne breakouts located on the face were problematic for 81% of the study population (regardless of sex). More than ¾ of women and 2/3 of men claimed that acne made them feel less attractive. The impact of acne on the participants' emotional well-being and social life differed between genders. Women experienced psychological discomfort more frequently than men (p = 0.0023). More than 50% of the participants eliminated acne-triggering foods from their diets, and 2/3 of these respondents observed a marked improvement or disappearance of skin breakouts as a result. A significantly higher number of respondents with severe/moderate anxiety were convinced that acne breakouts were affected by diet (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.23-1.87, p < 0.001) and foods with a high glycemic index (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.23-1.94, p < 0.001). Acne affects the patients' emotional well-being. It can act as a barrier to social interactions and lead to mood disorders of varied severity. Persons with moderate/severe mood disorders associated with anxiety significantly more often recognized the role of dietary factors in acne aggravation, and the severity of mood disorders was directly correlated with more frequent consumption of sweets, sweetened beverages, and foods with a high glycemic index.

Factors Associated with Premenstrual Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study of Female Adolescents (Morocco)

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a heterogeneous disorder which includes physical and affective symptoms that most females of reproductive age experience during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Objective: This study aims to investigate the factors associated with PMS among adolescent schoolgirls and to assess the severity of PMS. Methods: A cross sectional study conducted among 102 adolescents representing Marrakesh city. A structured questionnaire was used. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 26. Results: The rate of mild to severe PMS were 52.9 %, 25.5 % and 21.6 % respectively. The most common physical symptoms were backache (52.9%) and breast tenderness (36.3%), while the most common affective symptoms were irritability (49 %), anxiety (46.1 %) and mood swelling (45.1 %). Significant differences were observed between PMS group and non-PMS group in level of education (p< 0.05), sweets consumption (p< 0.05) and family’s status (p< 0.05). There was no significant association between PMS and BMI. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it seems that the occurrence of PMS is associated with sweet consumption frequency. This study showed also that the most common PMS symptoms were irritability and backache.

Nutritional Status and Habits among People on Vegan, Lacto/Ovo-Vegetarian, Pescatarian and Traditional Diets.

Background: This study assessed the possible dependencies between nutritional habits and body composition among subjects with different dietary habits. Materials: A total of 196 healthy (aged 18-50 yrs) participants were enrolled in the study and divided into 4 groups according to their diet: vegans-VEGAN (n = 53), lacto/ovo-vegetarians-VEGE (n = 52), pescatarians-PESCA (n = 28), and omnivores-OMN (n = 43). Methods: The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used, and body composition was assessed on the In-Body120 analyzer. Results: Our result revealed in OMN + PESCA groups a higher average consumption frequency of sweets (p = 0.024), cheese/plant cheese (p < 0.001), eggs and egg dishes/egg substitutes (p < 0.001), butter, margarine/plant margarine (p < 0.001), cream /plant cream (p = 0.018), wine and cocktails (p = 0.028), vodka (p = 0.039) and lower of natural cottage cheese/tofu/tempeh (p < 0.001), vegetable oils (p = 0.036), legumes (p < 0.001) and nuts and seeds(p < 0.001) compared to the VEGAN + VEGE groups. The body composition analysis showed significant differences in skeletal muscle mass (SMM) (p = 0.019) and the content of minerals (p = 0.048) between groups. VEGAN disclosed the lowest average values of body fat mass (BFM), percentage body fat (PBF), and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) than other studied groups. Conclusions: The body composition analysis showed mean values within normal ranges in all of the groups, but some average results of OMN, PESCA, and VEGE compared to VEGAN were not highly satisfactory (in addition to eating behavior outcomes).

Quality of education and adolescents' oral health-related behaviours: a multilevel analysis.

The school environment may positively influence student health behaviours and learning. This study aimed to investigate the association between cities' quality of education and adolescent students' oral health-related behaviours. Cross-sectional study using data of the 2015 Brazilian National Adolescent School-Based Health Survey and other public databases. The sample was composed of adolescents (N = 23,674) from public schools of the 27 Brazilian state capitals. Outcomes were four oral health-related behaviours: toothbrushing, sweets and soft-drink consumption, and dental visits. The explanatory variable was the cities' quality of education, measured by the Brazilian Basic Education Development Index. Covariates were individual (sociodemographic) and contextual (socioeconomic, oral health coverage and oral health-promoting schools). Multilevel logistic regression was performed considering two levels: individual (adolescents) and contextual (city). The prevalence of the outcomes were: low daily toothbrushing frequency 6.7% (95% CI 6.0-7.4); high weekly sweets consumption 41.5% (95% CI 40.3-42.7); high weekly soft-drink consumption 28.5% (95% CI 27.2-29.9); and low frequency of annual dental visits 31.2% (95% CI 30.1-32.3). In the adjusted models, cities whose schools had higher scores of education quality were more likely to have students with low toothbrushing frequency and high frequency of sweets consumption. The cities' quality of education was associated with unhealthy oral health-related behaviours, particularly the frequency of toothbrushing and sweets consumption. Therefore, appropriate health promotion strategies as well as high-quality education are needed in schools.

Nutritional Behaviors, Vitamin Supplementation and Physical Activity among Polish Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, including social isolation, movement restrictions and work instability have altered many people’s nutritional behaviors and daily lifestyle. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on selected eating habits, physical activity and daily lifestyle changes of Polish adults (n = 145). The self-designed and anonymous questionnaire was available online from the 1 May 2021 to the 15 May 2021. In general, 60% of respondents declared that the COVID-19 pandemic did not affect their dietary habits, whereas 26% of surveyed individuals answered in the affirmative. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on changing dietary habits was differentiated by age (Pearson’s χ2 = 12.604; p = 0.0134). The number of meals consumed by respondents per day differed across gender groups (Pearson’s χ2 = 9.653; df = 4; p = 0.0466). An increase in body weight during the COVID-19 pandemic was reported by 43% of women and 7.6% of surveyed men. Additionally, hybrid working women declared most often an increase in body mass independent of age, education level and living place. Moreover, the majority of respondents who reported the effect of the pandemic on changing dietary habits also declared more frequent sweets consumption. The study revealed that respondents who stated more frequent sweets consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely associated with an increase in body mass (OR = 6.75, 95% CI, 6.75–91.25). No increase in the consumption of vitamin D, C and Mg supplements and pickled products was found.

Consuming Selected Groups of Products Among Polish and Spanish Physical Education Students Within the Context of the Assumptions Proposed by the Mediterranean Diet

Introduction: Nutritional behaviour is determined by individual and environmental factors. Aim: The aim of the study was to analyse the frequency of consuming selected groups of food products within the context of the recommendations proposed by the Mediterranean diet model, depending on the country of residence: Polish vs. Spanish physical education students. Material and methods: Research was carried out among 219 Polish and 280 Spanish students, using the standardised Kom-PAN questionnaire. In the statistical analysis, the chi-square test was used, at the α=0.05 level of statistical significance. Results: Nutritional mistakes of the general population were related to the low frequency of consuming: fruit, vegetables, wholemeal bread and other whole grains, fermented dairy products and vegetable oils, and the relatively frequent consumption of red meat, processed meat products and confectionery. Among the Polish students, significantly more frequent consumption of some products recommended in the Mediterranean diet (fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereal products) as well as poultry meat was noted, but also more frequent consumption of sweets and confectionery products (p<0.001). The Spanish students significantly more often consumed the recommended dishes with legume seeds and sea fish (p<0.001), but also non-recommended products - red meat and fast food (p<0.01). Conclusions: Among Polish and Spanish physical education students, the assumptions of the Mediterranean diet were implemented to a limit extent, while depending on the country of residence, their differentiation was demonstrated.

Upper-airway dysbiosis related to frequent sweets consumption increases the risk of asthma in children with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Innate immunity response to local dysbiosis seems to be one of the most important immunologic backgrounds of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and concomitant asthma. We aimed to assess clinical determinants of upper-airway dysbiosis and its effect on nasal inflammatory profile and asthma risk in young children with CRS. We recruited one hundred and thirty-three children, aged 4-8years with doctor-diagnosed CRS with or without asthma. The following procedures were performed in all participants: face-to-face standardized Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life questionnaire, skin prick test, taste perception testing, nasopharynx swab, and sampling of the nasal mucosa. Upper-airway dysbiosis was defined separately by asthma-specific microbiome composition and reduced biodiversity. Multivariate methods were used to define the risk factors for asthma and upper-airway dysbiosis and their specific inflammatory profile of nasal mucosa. The asthma-specific upper-airway microbiome composition reflected by the decreased ratio of Patescibacteria/Actinobacteria independently of atopy increased the risk of asthma (OR:8.32; 95%CI: 2.93-23.6). This asthma-specific microbiome composition was associated with≥7/week sweet consumption (OR:2.64; 95%C:1.11-6.28), reduced biodiversity (OR:3.83; 95%CI:1.65-8.87), the presence of Staphylococcus strains in the nasopharynx (OR:4.25; 95%CI:1.12-16.1), and lower expression of beta-defensin 2, IL-5, and IL-13 in the nasal mucosa. The reduced biodiversity was associated with frequent antibiotic use and with a higher nasal expression of IL-17 and T1R3 (sweet taste receptor). In asthmatic children, reduced sweet taste perception was observed. Specific upper-airway dysbiosis related to frequent sweet consumption, frequent antibiotic courses, and altered nasal immune function increases the risk of asthma in young children with CRS.

Reduction of hypoglycaemia, lifestyle modifications and psychological distress during lockdown following SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in type 1 diabetes.

To assess changes in glucose metrics and their association with psychological distress and lifestyle changes in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using flash glucose monitoring (FGM) during lockdown following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 outbreak. Single-centre, observational, retrospective study enrolling T1D patients who attended a remote visit on April 2020 at the Endocrinology division of the University Hospital Policlinico Consorziale, Bari, Italy. Lockdown-related changes in physical activity level and dietary habits were assessed on a semi-quantitative basis. Changes in general well-being were assessed by the General Health Questionnaire-12 items with a binary scoring system. Glucose metrics were obtained from the Libreview platform for the first 2 weeks of February 2020 (T0) and the last 2 weeks before the phone visit (T1). Out of 84 patients assessed for eligibility, 48 had sufficient FGM data to be included in the analysis. FGM data analysis revealed significant reductions in coefficient of variation, number of hypoglycaemic events, and time below range, while no changes were found in time in range, time above range, mean sensor glucose, and glucose management indicator. Moreover, the frequency of sweets consumption was inversely related to the occurrence of hypoglycaemic events during lockdown. Lockdown-related lifestyle changes, albeit unhealthy, may lead to reduction in FGM-derived measures of hypoglycaemia and glycaemic variability in patients with T1D.

Differences in Sweet Taste Perception and Its Association with the Streptococcus mutans Cariogenic Profile in Preschool Children with Caries.

The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis about differences in sweet taste perception in the group of preschool children with and without caries, and to determine its relationship with cariogenic microbiota and the frequency of sweets consumption in children. The study group included of 63 children aged 2–6 years: 32 with caries and 31 without caries. The study consisted of collecting questionnaire data and assessment of dental status using the decayed, missing, filled in primary teeth index (dmft) and the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II). The evaluation of sweet taste perception was carried out using a specific method that simultaneously assessed the level of taste preferences and the sensitivity threshold for a given taste. The microbiological analysis consisted of the assessment of the quantitative and qualitative compositions of the oral microbiota of the examined children. The sweet taste perception of children with caries was characterized by a lower susceptibility to sucrose (the preferred sucrose solution concentration was >4 g/L) compared to children without caries (in the range ≤ 4 g/L, p = 0.0015, chi-square test). A similar relationship was also observed for frequent snacking between meals (p = 0.0038, chi-square test). The analysis of studied variables showed the existence of a strong positive correlation between the perception of sweet taste and the occurrence and intensity of the cariogenic process (p = 0.007 for dmft; and p = 0.012 for ICDAS II), as well as the frequency of consuming sweets (p ≤ 0.001 for frequent and repeated consumption of sweets during the day, Spearman test) in children with caries. Additionally, children with an elevated sucrose taste threshold were more than 10-times more likely to develop S. mutans presence (OR = 10.21; 95% CI 3.11–33.44). The results of this study suggest the future use of taste preferences in children as a diagnostic tool for the early detection of increased susceptibility to caries through microbial dysbiosis towards specific species of microorganisms.

Simultaneidade de comportamentos de risco para a obesidade em adultos das capitais do Brasil

The scope of this study was to verify the association between risk behaviors and obesity in adults (18 to 59 years of age) in Brazilian capitals. It involved a cross-sectional population-based study conducted by telephone interview. The self-reported variables were obesity, defined by weight and height (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) and risk behaviors: physical inactivity (≤ 149 minutes/week), excess sedentarism (≥ 4 hours/day), frequent consumption of sweets (≥ 5 days/week) and meat with fat and/or chicken with skin (≥ 1 day/week). The simultaneity of risk behaviors was analyzed for reasons of observed and expected prevalence. The Poisson and multinomial logistic regressions were used in crude analyses and adjusted for sociodemographic factors. Among the 35,448 adults, the simultaneous consumption of meat with fat, excess sedentarism and physical inactivity (PR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.45, 2.60), as well as the presence of the four risk behaviors (PR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.53) were associated with obesity in men. In women, the simultaneous consumption of sweets and meat with fat (PR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.66) was also associated with the outcome. In both sexes, there was an increase in the tendency of obesity according to the sum total of risk behaviors.

Impact of the oncological treatment on change in taste perception and dietary habits of children diagnosed with cancer – preliminary study

Purpose: Chemotherapy, which is widely used in cancer treatment in children, may cause various side effects, including impaired taste perception, thus the main aim of the presented study was a subjective assessment of changes in taste perception and dietary habits among children undergoing oncological treatment. Materials and methods: In the present study, 41 hospitalized children were examined (mean age 11.0 ± 5.1 years). Anthropometric measurements were made, and diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Results: For 85.4% of the patients, the current treatment was chemotherapy. The average Body Mass Index value was 17.8 kg/m2 . 68.3% of children declared a change in taste preferences preferred tastes were spicy (39.3%) and sour (35.7%). Determination of the way of eating showed a significant reduction in the consumption of bread, milk and dairy products, poultry, meat, fish, potatoes, vegetables, and a particularly pronounced decrease in the frequency of sweets consumption. Conclusions: Oncological treatment changes the subjective taste perception of children in favor of intense flavors, and the process of oncological treatment, especially the use of chemotherapy, affects the way of eating

Therapeutic considerations and clinical characteristics of a sample of adolescent patients with acne vulgaris in Tirana, Albania: A cross-sectional study.

Acne vulgaris is a common adolescent disorder but the data related to acne vulgaris is insufficient in Albania. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiologic features of acne vulgaris and to identify lifestyle and constitutional factors in formulating a proper management protocol. A cross-sectional study conducted on a representative sample of 2036 adolescents from 10 high schools located in Tirana. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to collect the data. The binary logistic regression was applied to assess the factors linked to the presence of acne vulgaris in adolescents. The mean age in the study population was 16.2 ± 0.9 years. The self-reported prevalence of acne was 50.3% (52.1% in females and 47.9% in males). Lifetime prevalence was 68.5%. The factors significantly associated with an increased likelihood over time were: frequent consumption of sweets, frequent endurance of stress, poor quality of sleep, positive family history of acne, oily and combination skin, menstrual disorders. Acne vulgaris is common among adolescents in our country. The identification of various modifiable factors related to acne generates opportunities to tailor and focus prevention efforts and better management and treatment planning in relevant high-risk groups.

Food Selection Under Stress Among Undergraduate Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

BackgroundUniversity students might experience numerous sources of stress in their daily lives. Previous research has found that stress affects food selection patterns, but the effect might vary by country and sex. No previous study conducted in Saudi Arabia has assessed the association between stress and dietary habits among university students. Thus, this study aimed to examine the association between perceived stress and food selection patterns among undergraduate students by sex at King Saud University (KSU).MethodsA cross-sectional study of 400 students attending the College of Applied Medical Sciences in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was conducted. The self-administered questionnaire that was used consisted of three sections: sociodemographic, food frequency questionnaire, and Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale.ResultsApproximately (59.0%) of the participants reported suffering from some level of stress, with more females (64.5%) experiencing stress than males (54.0%). The univariate analysis showed that under stress, more females (68.0%) reported eating more than usual than males (49.0%), while the percentage of respondents that reported eating less than usual was higher for females (23.0%) than that for males (31.0%). The McNemar test indicated that under stress, there was an increased preference for salty flavors, which was not associated with sex. Significantly more females (82.0%) than males (64.5%) reported preferring sweets under stress. More males reported preferring bitter and savory flavors than females. Under stress, females preferred homemade food, while males preferred takeout foods. More females (68.0%) reported losing control and overeating than males (49.0%). A logistic regression showed that for female students, perceived stress was associated with frequent consumption of sweets, cake/cookies, snacks and beverages and less frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables. For males, the consumption of fast food and meat was significantly positively associated with perceived stress.ConclusionPerceived stress led to unhealthy changes in eating patterns in both sexes, as evidenced by reports of an increased preference for sweets, snacks and cake/cookies among females and an increased preference for fast food and meat among males. These results may be potentially important targets for interventions for stress-related food consumption.

Evaluation of risk factors in caries formation in children

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors in caries formation and relationships between each other in children. Material and Methods: A total of 84 children aged between 5-15 years were included in the study. The children were randomly selected among the patients who came to the clinic. Oral disorders and oral hygiene were evaluated with the oral examination. Examination of the children was carried out by two calibrated pediatric dentists. Plaque index, dmf-t index (decay-missed-filled primary tooth) and DMF-T index (decay-missed-filled permanent tooth) scores were evaluated by clinical examination. Plaque index was evaluated using Sillness & Loe plaque index. In addition, a questionnaire was performed about children's age, tooth brushing habits, sweet consumption, dentist visit and dental treatment experience. Statistical analysis was conducted with Mann Whitney-U test, Chi-Square test, Independent t-test and Correlation test. Results: When the survey data is examined, there was no significant difference between boy and girl patients regarding dmft, DMFT, frequency of tooth brushing, sweet consumption and plaque index scores (p>0,05). There was no relationship between frequency of sweet consumption and DMF-T, dmf-t and plaque index scores (p>0,05). No significant relationship was found between the frequency of tooth brushing and DMF-T and dmf-t scores (p>0,05). The examinations were revealed that there were no children with regular tooth brushing habits and the plaque index scores of children with irregular tooth brushing habit was lower than the children with no brushing habits (p<0,05). In addition, a positive correlation was also observed between age and plaque index and DMFT scores. However, a negative correlation was observed between age and dmft scores. Conclusions: It is observed that there was a significant relationship between tooth brushing habits and plaque index values of children.

Selected nutritional behaviors and the level of physical activity of high school students

The aim of the study was to assess selected nutritional behaviors and the level of physical activity of high school students in the West Pomeranian Voivodship. The research included questionnaires regarding the consumption of breakfast, detailing school days and weekends, the amount of vegetables, fruit, sweets and sugary drinks consumed, as well as questions about physical activity during school and extracurricular classes, intensity of exercises and participation of parents in joint sport. Anthropometric measurements were performed including: body weight, height, BMI, fat mass, lean mass, muscle mass. Body composition analysis was based on the bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA). There were many irregularities in the way students were eating: lack of breakfast, too little consumption of vegetables and fruits and frequent consumption of sweets and sugary drinks. Physical activity in the majority of students was at a correct level. Despite the nutritional mistakes made, the average BMI of the tested students was correct.

Effect of health promoting behaviours on caries prevalence in children aged 1-3 years from the Skierniewice region.

Health promoting behaviours have a decisive effect on the development and cours of caries at any age. The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between health promoting behaviours and the state of dentition in children aged 1-3 years by determining the child's age, the cause of the first visit at the dental office and evaluating the relationship between the intensity of dental caries and the frequency of oral hygiene practices as well as the consumption of sweet foods. The study was conducted among 204 children aged 1-3 years from the town of Skierniewice and its vicinity, who visited the Dental Clinic at the Ogrodowa Medical Centre in Skierniewice in the years 2019 and 2020. The study consisted of two parts: a questionnaire and clinical examination. In the entire study group, active caries was found in 65.2% of children. Most of the children came for the first time to the dentist at the age of 3 years (37.5%), and the least number of them in the first year of age (22.6%). There was no significant correlation observed between the purpose of the visit (adaptation, check-up and treatment, pain) and the child's age (p> 0.05). The majority of children (67.6%) cleaned their teeth twice a day; and the value of their dmf index (2.00 ± 0.88) was significantly lower compared to those brushing teeth once a day: in the morning (2.82 ± 1.01) or in the evening (2.89 ± 0.93) (p <0.001). Only 8.8% of children did not eat sweets at all, while more than half (58.8%) consumed them more than once a day. The dmf index value significantly (p<0.001) increased with the frequency of sweets consumption from 0.37 ± 0.08 - never, through 1.73 ± 0.86 - once a day, to 2.99 ± 1.03 - often. The results of our study showed that health-promoting measures have a significant impact on the dental state of children aged 1-3 years.

Maternal Dental Health Knowledge and Its Relation to the Dental Caries Experience of Their Children in Mamyzawa Camp of Refugees in Erbil, Iraq.

This study aimed to evaluate the mothers' dental health knowledge and its relation to their children's oral health behavior and practice in a camp of refugees. This descriptive cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Mamyzawa refugee camp in Erbil City, Iraq, in November 2017. Seventy-nine preschoolers (43 aged 4 years and 36 aged 5 years) and their mothers (79) were chosen for this study. The study was accomplished in two days. The first day the mothers' oral health knowledge, children's behavior towards oral hygiene, eating behaviors of their children and their use of dental services were assessed by a questionnaire. The day after, examinations of the dental health status of the children were performed. SPSS statistics software was used to analyze the collected data. Mothers' knowledge of oral health was low, and 63% of the children had dental caries. Five-year old children had more dental caries (77.8%) than the four-year old (51.20 %). Frequency of sweet consumption, brushing assistance, and irregular use of dental services were the main factors that had relation to the high dental caries in those children. The mothers living in Mamyzawa refugee camp do not have enough knowledge of oral health, which was led to high caries prevalence among their children, indicating that an intensive education program is required for the mothers and oral health care for their children.

Why video health education messages should be considered for all dental waiting rooms.

ObjectiveVideo is an effective, accessible, and low cost method of delivering health education messages to a wide audience. Dental waiting rooms provide an opportunity to deliver video oral health education interventions to receptive viewers. In this study we aim to evaluate firstly video oral health education in regards to patient preference, and secondly its ability to change both immediate and sustained self-reported intended health behaviours by patients.MethodData from 253 individuals from a public hospital dental waiting room were gathered using a previously validated survey following an oral health education video intervention, and analysed using descriptive analysis, Fischer’s Exact Test, and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test across 3 time intervals.ResultsParticipants across all ages evaluated the video oral health education approach as easy to follow and understand (p<0.001), the content practical and useful (p<0.001), and that it was a better experience (p<0.01). Those watching between 5 and 20 minutes reported that video was the best format to present oral care information (p<0.02). At follow up, significant improvement in the tools used by participants to clean teeth was seen (39.8%, p<0.001), as well as reported reduction in sweet consumption frequency (21.3%, p<0.001) and in smoking (44.8%, p<0.02).ConclusionVideo format oral health education used in dental waiting rooms was found to be effective in educating patients and instigating both immediate and sustained self-reported behaviour change. Significant improvement in tools used for oral hygiene and a reduction in sweets consumption were demonstrated, both of which are essential factors in reducing caries rates and improving oral health.