[ID 37987] ESTADO NUTRICIONAL, HÁBITOS ALIMENTARES E SAÚDE BUCAL EM UM GRUPO DE ESCOLARES

Abstract

Objective: Investigate nutritional status, dietary habits, caries experience and oral hygiene practices in a group of schoolchildren. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 171 children aged four to eight years at a public school in the city of Recife, Brazil. The anthropometric evaluation involved recording sex, age, weight and height, using the z-score of body mass index/age as the criterion for the diagnosis. A questionnaire was used to collect information on the intake frequency of foods and beverages and oral hygiene practices. Oral examinations were performed in the school setting using the dmft index (World Health Organization) as the diagnostic criterion for caries experience. The data were evaluated using descriptive analysis. Results: Among the children evaluated, 25% were classified as overweight and 3.5% were classified as underweight. Regarding diet, high intake frequencies (three to six times a day) were found for cookies (28.8%), soft drinks (19.9%), candy/suckers (27.8%) and sugar added to foods/beverages (42.5%). The prevalence of caries was 46.4%, with a mean of 1.47 carious primary teeth and mean dmft index of 1.8. The majority of children performed tooth brushing with no supervision (60.3%) with a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste (56.2%); 39.2% had never been to a dentist and 60.2% were in need of dental treatment. Conclusion: Considering the current guidelines of the World Health Organization, the nutritional status and oral health of the children analyzed were not satisfactory. DESCRIPTORS: Infant feeding. Eating habits. Oral health.