Oral health status: its relation to the nutritional state in children aged 2-5

[摘要] OBJECTIVE: to describe the relationship existing between the oral health status and the nutritional state of children aged 2-5.METHODS: an analytical case-control study was conducted in Bauta municipality, Havana, from June 2005 to June 2006. The universe was composed of 2 408 children aged 2-5. A sample of 400 children was taken from it. The following variables were used: oral health status, nutritional state, presence of caries, malocclusions and gingivitis. The odds ratio was obtained whenever it was possible for those variables whose association proved to be significant in order to identify the increase or reduction of the probability of having a poor oral health in the presence of the risk factor considered.RESULTS: 9.5 % of the malnourished children had an affected oral health, 28.0 % of the children with weighted-height deficit presented caries, 52.0 % of them suffered from gingivitis and 60.0 % showed malocclusion.CONCLUSIONS: the weighted height deficit raised the prevalence of the studied oral affections. The oral health status was significantly associated with the nutritional state.

[学科分类] 基础医学

[关键词] Oral health;nutritional state;caries;gingivitis;malocclusion