ArticleBMC oral health2023
Behavioral and social determinants of early childhood caries among Palestinian preschoolers in Jerusalem area: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC oral health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Prevalence and risk factors for early childhood caries in North Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC oral health · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of parental psychosocial profile on the effectiveness of oral hygiene interventions in preschool children: a randomised controlled clinical trial in a rural population.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2026Trial
- Minimally Invasive Interventions for Childhood Caries: A Scoping Review of Their Applicability in Public Health and Community Settings.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Addressing Research Gaps in Early Childhood Caries: A Comprehensive Review.Dentistry journal · 2026Review
- Association of clinical consequences of untreated caries in early childhood with oral health-related quality of life.Revista brasileira de epidemiologia = Brazilian journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Oral Health Status Among Children and Adolescents from Vulnerable Populations: A Cross-Sectional Study in Seville, Spain.Dentistry journal · 2025Article
- Adoption of minimally invasive dentistry in Palestine: assessing practices and barriers - a cross-sectional study.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- COVID-19 and Its Aftermath on Pediatric Oral Health: A Study of Dental Caries and Hygiene in Romanian Children.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- Changes in Toothbrushing Behaviors Following a Child Dental Care Reform in Israel.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Mediation Effect of Dental Caries in the Relationship between Parental Locus of Control and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life.Caries research · 2025Article
- Polymicrobial detection and salivary metabolomics of children with early childhood caries.PeerJ · 2025Article
- Sleep Pattern and the Incidence of Early Childhood Caries: Systematic Review.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2024Review
- Managing Early Childhood Caries: A Comparative Review of Preventive and Restorative Approaches.Cureus · 2024Review
- A scoping review of the links between early childhood caries and clean water and sanitation: the Sustainable Development Goal 6.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- Polish pregnant women's knowledge on early childhood caries prevention and oral hygiene in children.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Psychosocial determinants of oral health outcomes in young children.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2024Article
- Effect of dietary patterns on dental caries among 12-15 years-old adolescents: a cross-sectional survey.BMC oral health · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study came to determine the prevalence of Early Childhood Carries (ECC) among preschoolers in a marginalized population and describe the influence of behavioral and social determinants on the development of ECC.
methodsThis is a cross-sectional study that was carried out in four random preschools in the Jerusalem Governorate of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. All children aged 3-5 years old in the selected schools were screened for ECC using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (dmft). Data on children's socio-economic, feeding habits, hygiene habits, access to care, parental level of stress, social support, and locus of control were collected by a validated questionnaire sent to the children's main caregivers. Descriptive statistics were generated and bivariable and multivariable analyses were used to explain the influence of different behavioral and social determinants on ECC levels.
resultsFour hundred and fifty-seven preschoolers completed the questionnaire and the clinical screening. Ninety-seven percent (n = 447) had experienced dental decay, with an average dmft score of 6.6 ± 4.3. After accounting for potential confounding, parents' internal locus of control was associated with lower dental caries among children (IRR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.97, 0.98). Having routine, preventive visits versus never seeing a dentist were associated with lower dmft scores (IRR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.33, 0.52). Night feeding habits (putting things other than water in the baby bottle at night, having children sleep while being breastfed at night) were positively associated with children's dental caries (IRR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.09: IRR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.03, 1.29, respectively). Not adding sugar to the bottle was negatively associated with children's dental caries (IRR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.74, 1.00).
conclusionsPreschoolers in this study suffered from high dental caries experience. Although infant feeding habits were key factors in explaining the elevated level of the disease, system and socio-psychological factors were also detrimental to ECC prevalence. Policies and interventions to alleviate the burden of ECC need to address socioeconomic determinants of health in addition to feeding and hygiene practices.
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