Prevalence of nursing caries and its relationship with feeding practices among preschool children of Lucknow City

• Main Authors: Ridhi Narang, Sabyasachi Saha, G V Jagannatha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2013-01-01
• Series: Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry
• Subjects: nursing caries; bottle feeding; breast feeding; preschool
• Online Access: http://www.jiaphd.org/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2013;volume=11;issue=3;spage=17;epage=23;aulast=Narang

Aim: To assess the prevalence of nursing caries and its relationship with feeding practices in preschool children of Lucknow city. Materials & Method: A sample of 512 preschool going children was selected through multistage cluster random sampling. Mothers provided information regarding demographic data and feeding practices. Dental caries experience was recorded using Dentition status and treatment needs (WHO Basic Oral Health Survey 1997). Association between 2 variables was obtained using chi square test. One way ANOVA was used for multiple group comparisons. Results: The prevalence of nursing caries was 33.1%. Children having mixed type of feeding practices had statistically highly significant (p<0.001) caries experience than those children solely fed on bottle or breast. Also, children who were breast fed at night had a highly significant (p<0.001) caries experience than those who were not breast fed. Conclusions: The prevalence of nursing caries was high and was significantly associated with mixed type of feeding practices and who were breastfed or bottlefed at night. nursing caries, bottle feeding, breast feeding, preschool