Mishu Masuma Pervin, Hobdell Martin, Khan Mahfujul Haq, Hubbard Richard M, Sabbah Wael
Dhaka Dental College Hospital, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh.
Int J Dent. 2013;2013:629675. doi: 10.1155/2013/629675. Epub 2013 Apr 10.
Background. Children in low-income developing countries are likely to suffer from undergrowth. Dental caries is another common problem in these countries. Aim. To examine the association between untreated dental caries in primary and permanent teeth with age-adjusted height and weight among 6-12-year-old children in Bangladesh. Design. Social, behavioural, and clinical data were collected from 1699 children in nine different randomly selected primary schools in socially deprived areas of Bangladesh. The associations of age-adjusted weight and height and being underweight with dental caries were examined adjusting for sex, area of residence, socioeconomic position, skipping meals, tooth cleaning, and doctor visits. Results. 26% of the children were underweight and 55% had untreated dental caries. Children with at least one decayed tooth were significantly underweight with odds ratios 1.6 (95% CI 1.1, 2.3) and 1.5 (95% CI 1.1, 2.0) for 6-8-years and 9-12-year-old children, respectively, in the adjusted model. The number of decayed teeth was inversely and significantly associated with the standardized age-adjusted weight. Conclusions. The findings highlight the association between untreated dental caries and being underweight in primary school children in socially deprived areas in low-income developing countries and emphasize the need to integrate oral and general health policies with social policies.
背景。低收入发展中国家的儿童可能存在发育不良的情况。龋齿在这些国家也是一个常见问题。目的。研究孟加拉国6至12岁儿童乳牙和恒牙未治疗龋齿与年龄调整后的身高和体重之间的关联。设计。从孟加拉国社会贫困地区随机选取的9所不同小学的1699名儿童中收集社会、行为和临床数据。在对性别、居住地区、社会经济地位、不规律饮食、牙齿清洁和就医情况进行调整后，研究年龄调整后的体重、身高以及体重不足与龋齿之间的关联。结果。26%的儿童体重不足，55%的儿童有未治疗的龋齿。在调整模型中，至少有一颗龋齿的6至8岁儿童体重不足的比值比为1.6（95%置信区间1.1，2.3），9至12岁儿童为1.5（95%置信区间1.1，2.0）。龋齿数量与标准化年龄调整后的体重呈显著负相关。结论。研究结果突出了低收入发展中国家社会贫困地区小学生未治疗龋齿与体重不足之间的关联，并强调需要将口腔健康政策和总体健康政策与社会政策相结合。
