Oral hygiene status, oral health-related behaviors, sleep, body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract Background This study aimed to revisit the early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence among children aged 5 in Xiangyun to assess the impact of caries intervention implemented in the past several years and explore the association between sleep status, body mass index, and ECC among young child...

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Main Authors: Xiaoqin Xu, Hongmei Zhang, Mingshan Liu, Guangyun Lai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Public Health
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23659-3
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author Xiaoqin Xu
Hongmei Zhang
Mingshan Liu
Guangyun Lai
author_facet Xiaoqin Xu
Hongmei Zhang
Mingshan Liu
Guangyun Lai
author_sort Xiaoqin Xu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background This study aimed to revisit the early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence among children aged 5 in Xiangyun to assess the impact of caries intervention implemented in the past several years and explore the association between sleep status, body mass index, and ECC among young children in Xiangyun for the first time. Methods A total of 954 children aged five in Xiangyun were selected between September and November 2023. This cross-sectional survey comprised a dental examination and an oral health-related questionnaire. The caries presence was recorded according to the dental examination standard of the WHO 2013 criteria. The oral hygiene status was evaluated using the Simplified Debris Index (DI-S). Parents completed questionnaires that included demographic variables, family socioeconomic status, oral health-related habits, children’s sleep status, children’s birth weight, current height and weight. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis identified significant variables associated with the prevalence of ECC. Statistical significance was set at a P-value of 0.05. Results Data from 45 incomplete questionnaires were removed from the analysis due to missing information. The ECC prevalence of 909 children consisting of 460 males and 449 females was 75.03%, with a mean dmft of 4.7 ± 4.6. Neither the sleep status nor the body mass index showed an association with the caries prevalence (P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the most significantly associated factors were: the family income less than 6,000 Yuan, consuming desserts/cookies at least once a day, eating snacks without toothbrushing before bed, brushing teeth independently, having poor oral hygiene status and the use of fluoride toothpaste. Conclusions The prevalence of caries among 5-year-old children in Xiangyun remains higher than the national average in China. This higher prevalence is primarily associated with family income, several oral-health-related habits, and poor oral hygiene status, but not with sleep status or body mass index. In response, the local government should prioritize enhancing access to preventive oral care for children from impoverished families. Additionally, efforts should be made to encourage parents to supervise their children’s toothbrushing, improve their children’s oral hygiene, and correct harmful habits, such as eating snacks without brushing their teeth before bed in the future.
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spelling doaj-art-e66733e8377440038bc1f6dd5087acc22025-08-20T04:02:50ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-07-012511910.1186/s12889-025-23659-3Oral hygiene status, oral health-related behaviors, sleep, body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from Southwest China: a cross-sectional surveyXiaoqin Xu0Hongmei Zhang1Mingshan Liu2Guangyun Lai3Department of Stomatology, People’s Hospital of XiangyunDepartment of Stomatology, People’s Hospital of XiangyunDepartment of Stomatology, People’s Hospital of XiangyunDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesAbstract Background This study aimed to revisit the early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence among children aged 5 in Xiangyun to assess the impact of caries intervention implemented in the past several years and explore the association between sleep status, body mass index, and ECC among young children in Xiangyun for the first time. Methods A total of 954 children aged five in Xiangyun were selected between September and November 2023. This cross-sectional survey comprised a dental examination and an oral health-related questionnaire. The caries presence was recorded according to the dental examination standard of the WHO 2013 criteria. The oral hygiene status was evaluated using the Simplified Debris Index (DI-S). Parents completed questionnaires that included demographic variables, family socioeconomic status, oral health-related habits, children’s sleep status, children’s birth weight, current height and weight. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis identified significant variables associated with the prevalence of ECC. Statistical significance was set at a P-value of 0.05. Results Data from 45 incomplete questionnaires were removed from the analysis due to missing information. The ECC prevalence of 909 children consisting of 460 males and 449 females was 75.03%, with a mean dmft of 4.7 ± 4.6. Neither the sleep status nor the body mass index showed an association with the caries prevalence (P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the most significantly associated factors were: the family income less than 6,000 Yuan, consuming desserts/cookies at least once a day, eating snacks without toothbrushing before bed, brushing teeth independently, having poor oral hygiene status and the use of fluoride toothpaste. Conclusions The prevalence of caries among 5-year-old children in Xiangyun remains higher than the national average in China. This higher prevalence is primarily associated with family income, several oral-health-related habits, and poor oral hygiene status, but not with sleep status or body mass index. In response, the local government should prioritize enhancing access to preventive oral care for children from impoverished families. Additionally, efforts should be made to encourage parents to supervise their children’s toothbrushing, improve their children’s oral hygiene, and correct harmful habits, such as eating snacks without brushing their teeth before bed in the future.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23659-3Early childhood cariesOral hygieneSleepBody mass indexCross-sectional survey
spellingShingle Xiaoqin Xu
Hongmei Zhang
Mingshan Liu
Guangyun Lai
Oral hygiene status, oral health-related behaviors, sleep, body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey
BMC Public Health
Early childhood caries
Oral hygiene
Sleep
Body mass index
Cross-sectional survey
title Oral hygiene status, oral health-related behaviors, sleep, body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey
title_full Oral hygiene status, oral health-related behaviors, sleep, body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey
title_fullStr Oral hygiene status, oral health-related behaviors, sleep, body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey
title_full_unstemmed Oral hygiene status, oral health-related behaviors, sleep, body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey
title_short Oral hygiene status, oral health-related behaviors, sleep, body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey
title_sort oral hygiene status oral health related behaviors sleep body mass index and dental caries prevalence of a sample aged five from southwest china a cross sectional survey
topic Early childhood caries
Oral hygiene
Sleep
Body mass index
Cross-sectional survey
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23659-3
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