The relationship between Tooth Decay with Stress and BMI among elementary students: A cross-sectional study in Iran

Background: Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children worldwide. On the other hand, inappropriate Stress and BMI are risk factors that make children prone to diseases. Therefore, in this study, the relationship between tooth decay with Stress and BMI among children was examined. Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional study of descriptive-analytical type. A total of 350 students referred to the clinic of the faculty of dentistry of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in 1400 were selected through convenience sampling method to participate in the study. First, the students underwent a dental examination after measuring their height and weight. Then, two questionnaires of demographic information and Children's Stress Symptom Scale (CSSS) of Scherer and Ryan-Wenger were completed by the child's parents through self-reporting. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23 and using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results The BMI of the participating students was in the normal range. The prevalence of tooth decay among participating students was 76.9% (269 people). The mean and standard deviation of stress scores was 6.85 ± 4.01 out of 26, that was at a low level. Also, the mean and standard deviation of the BMI was 22.78 ± 5.28, that was in the normal range. The results of logistic regression showed that the variables of "father's level of education", "family economic status", "experience of toothache in the past year", "oral health status", "frequency of tooth brushing", "flossing", "stress", and "BMI" were effective factors in tooth decay (P < 0.05). Conclusion Students who had inappropriate BMI, more stress, father with low level of education, family with poor economic status, experience of toothache past year, poor oral health status, and those who used less toothbrushes and floss had more tooth decay. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to these students in designing and implementing educational programs to prevent tooth decay.