RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether Healthy Eating Index (HEI) can predict Error correction code (ECC) in children of 3-6 year old. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our sample included 350 3-6 year old children attending outpatient department of Pedodontia. Caries score was assessed using decayed, missing, and filled teeth index and HEI was used to evaluate the diet quality. RESULTS: About 65.9% of the children who were breast feeding and bottle feeding at night had higher S-ECC and it was statistically significant (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: HEI scores were inversely related to caries severity, i.e. HEI score was significantly higher in simple ECC (57.4) and lesser in S-ECC (53.2).
RESUMO
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the body mass index (BMI) status and to correlate between nutritional status and early childhood caries among 3-6-year-old children in Vikarabad, Telangana, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 children attending the outpatient department of Pedodontia in Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery, Vikarabad. Caries experience was recorded using dmft index (WHO 1997); various anthropometric measures, such as weight, BMI, and height, were recorded as per the standard guidelines. Pearson correlation coefficient and chi square test were used to determine significant differences. Data were analyzed using the statistical analysis software (SPSS version 17.0 Chicago IL, USA). RESULTS: Maximum number of participants (69%) were with normal BMI- for-age followed by underweight, overweight, and obese categories. The mean dmft values for each BMI category among the underweight, normal, overweight, and obese children were 4.9 ± 4.0, 4.6 ± 3.3, 2.7 ± 1.9, and 4.4 ± 3.0, respectively, which was statistically not significant. CONCLUSION: No significant association was found between dmft and BMI-for-age, rather a negative correlation existed between dmft and BMI-for-age (r = -0.023), which was not statistically significant (P = 0.66).
