Relationship between Obesity and Oral Health Behavior in Primary and Junior High School Students: A Cross-sectional Study.

It has been reported that people who brush their teeth frequently might be more health-conscious and maintain healthier lifestyle habits. The relationship between obesity and oral health behavior in childhood is unknown, however. The aim of the present study was to fill this gap by investigating obesity and factors associated with oral health behavior in Japanese primary and junior high school students. A total of 475 primary school students (fifth-grade, age 10-11 years) and 408 junior high school students (first-grade, age 12-13 years) were included. All the participants underwent a regular health check-up and completed a self-reported questionnaire. The data thus obtained were subjected to multiple logistic regression analyses to identify the relationship between obesity and factors associated with oral health behavior. In primary school students, a dislike of physical activity was the only factor showing a significant association with obesity (p<0.05). In addition, however, tooth brushing <2 times per day and a lack of regular clinical dental care showed a significant association with obesity in junior high school students (p<0.05). The present results suggest a significant association between regular clinical dental care and tooth brushing and obesity in junior school students.

The impact of a school-based tooth-brushing program on dental caries: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Promotion of oral health in children is recognized as one of the components of health-promoting schools (HPSs). However, few studies have addressed supportive school environments for children's oral health. This study aimed to evaluate the status of dental caries in school children at HPSs, with the objective of examining the impact of a supportive school environment for oral health, considering the lifestyles of individual children and the socioeconomic characteristics of their communities. METHODS: Data of 2043 5th-grade students in 21 elementary schools in Ichikawa city between 2008 and 2013 were analyzed. Children's oral health status was evaluated using the decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT) index. A self-reported lifestyle questionnaire, a survey of the school environment promoting tooth-brushing, and community socioeconomic characteristics derived from the National Census data were included in the analyses. Bivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the children's DMFT status, and zero-inflated negative binominal (ZINB) regression was used to assess the relationships between DMFT and other variables. RESULTS: Prevalence of dental caries in the permanent teeth of 5th-grade children (aged 10-11 years) was 33.3%, with a mean DMFT score (± SD) of 0.83 ± 1.50. According to multilevel ZINB regression analysis, children from schools with after-lunch tooth-brushing time showed a higher odds ratio (OR) for excess zero DMFT (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.00-2.15, P = 0.049) as compared to those from schools without it. Neither bivariate analysis nor ZINB model analysis revealed any significant influence of children's gender or use of a toothpaste with fluoride. CONCLUSIONS: The school-based environment supportive of oral health was significantly associated with a zero DMFT status in children. School-based efforts considering the socioeconomic characteristics of the area warrant attention even with declining prevalence of dental caries.