Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40435360›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

School dietary habits & oral health experiences of primary school children in Johannesburg.

Octavia Refiloe Lebele, Veerasamy Yengopal, Peedi Mathobela, Mpho Matlakale Molete

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Octavia Refiloe LebeleUniversity of KwaZulu Natal, KZN Province, Durban, South Africa.
Veerasamy YengopalFaculty of Dentistry Western Cape Province, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
Peedi MathobelaDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
Mpho Matlakale MoleteDepartment of Oral Biological Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9227-3927

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND &

aimUnderstanding the impact of food exposures outside the home environment is pivotal for helping children establish healthy eating patterns, for the prevention and delay of dental caries and other non-communicable diseases. This study sought to assesses the dietary habits and oral health experiences of primary school children in Johannesburg.

methodsThis was a cross-sectional analytical study of grade three learners, aged 9-11 years old. The measurement tools used included an observational checklist, a questionnaire, an oral health examination and anthropometric measures for assessing the Body Mass Index (BMI). Correlation and regression analysis were undertaken to determine relationships between sugar intake, calories intake, dmft, DMFT and gingival index.

resultsOf the 107 eligible children participating, 68% were from a school with a feeding scheme and 31.8% with no feeding scheme. The mean (SD) of BMI, dmft, and DMFT were 18.19 (3.59), 3.14 (3.39), and 1.49 (2.10), respectively. The mean sugar content of meals served in schools with a feeding scheme was lower [11.65g (SD 9.6)] than the mean sugar content of food consumed at a schools with no feeding scheme [35.84g (29.9)]. The regression analysis in this population indicated that the low gingival score was associated with high BMI and sugar intake.

conclusionAlthough the sugar content of meals served at National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) schools was less that the sugar content accessed by children at Non-NSNP schools, both the schools had poor controls over sugar consumption and purchasing behaviour of the learners. The low gingival score was attributed to socio-economic status and access to toothbrushes and pastes.

Indexed as

Feeding BehaviorOral HealthSchoolsBody Mass IndexChildCross-Sectional StudiesDental CariesEnergy IntakeFemaleHumansMaleSouth Africa

Identifiers

PMID40435360
PMCPMC12118976

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