Dental pain and associated factors in 2 to 4-year-old children in
               Goiânia

Cross-sectional study using home interviews with parents or guardians and anthropometric measures. The sample consisted of 385 children from 2 to 4 years old. The variables analyzed were: dental pain sometime in their lives, and demographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors (health condition, diet, nutritional status and behavior). Bivariate analysis and logistic regression were performed, based on a hierarchical model for risk assessment, considering the sample weights.

RESULTS:

Dental pain prevalence was 9.9% (95%CI 7.4 - 13.1). After adjustment for other variables, children whose mothers had low education level and those who regularly consumed artificial powder juice containing sugar were more likely to have dental pain (OR = 3.03 and 2.15, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

It was concluded that one in ten children had dental pain, and the prevalence was associated with low education level of the mother and the regular consumption of artificial powder juice.

Toothache; Child, preschool; Prevalence; Risk factors; Social class; Diet

Variables (n*)	Frequencies n (%)	Dental pain		p-value****
Variables (n*)	Frequencies n (%)	n**	%***	p-value****
Dental pain some time in life (n = 385)		38	9.9
Demographic characteristics
Age (n = 385)
2 years old	137 (35.3)	13	9.4	0.952
3 years old	132 (35.1)	12	9.8
4 years old	116 (29.6)	13	10.7
Gender (n = 385)
Male	189 (47.0)	18	9.0	0.566
Female	196 (53.0)	20	10.7	0.566
Socioeconomic characteristics
Sanitary District (n = 385)
Group I	47 (13.3)	3	5.4	0.071
Group II	127 (34.8)	11	7.3
Group III	211 (51.9)	24	12.8
Family structure (n = 385)
Nuclear	286 (75.8)	28	9.6	0.775
Non-nuclear	99 (24.2)	10	10.8	0.775
Birth order (n = 385)
1^st child	179 (43.8)	19	12.1	0.460
2^nd child	127 (33.4)	9	7.4
≥ 3^rd child	79 (22.8)	10	9.5
Goes to daycare (n = 385)
No	250 (65.1)	26	10.3	0.752
Yes	135 (34.9)	12	9.2	0.752
Father’s age (n = 372)
≥ 30 years old	225 (58.7)	21	9.0	0.386
until 29 years old	147 (41.3)	17	12.2	0.386
Mother’s age (n = 380)
≥ 30 years old	161 (40.3)	19	11.4	0.563
until 29 years old	219 (59.7)	19	9.0	0.563
Mother’s educational level (n = 377)
≥ 8	306 (78.7)	23	7.3	0.016
< 8	71 (21.3)	14	18.8	0.016
Father’s educational level (n = 351)
≥ 8	269 (74.2)	23	8.9	0.278
< 8	82 (25.8)	11	13.4	0.278
Mom worked in the last year (n = 385)
No	162 (43.3)	18	11.0	0.563
Yes	223 (56.7)	20	9.1	0.563
Kind of residence (n = 385)
Masonry with complete finishing	288 (72.8)	27	9.3	0.556
Masonry with incomplete finishing	97 (27.2)	11	11.5	0.556
Rooms used for sleeping (n = 385)
1 room	79 (21.5)	11	13.8	0.209
2 rooms	176 (44.2)	18	11.0
≥ 3 rooms	130 (34.3)	9	6.1
Water supply (n = 384)
Public supply	357 (93.0)	37	10.5	0.089
Well/cistern	27 (7.0)	1	2.8	0.089
Economic class (n = 385)
A/B classes	141 (32.9)	11	8.7	0.192
C class	200 (55.2)	19	8.9
D/E classes	44 (11.9)	8	18.1
Receives Bolsa Família grant (n = 385)
No	322 (82.2)	27	8.6	0.089
Yes	63 (17.8)	11	15.9	0.089

Variables (n*)	Frequencies n (%)	Dental pain		p-value****
Variables (n*)	Frequencies n (%)	n**	%***	p-value****
Health conditions
Premature (n = 385)
No	343 (89.8)	36	10.2	0.616
Yes	42 (10.2)	2	7.2	0.616
Diagnosed health problem (n = 384)
No	308 (80.1)	31	10.1	0.583
Yes	76 (19.9)	6	8.0	0.583
Health-related behaviors
Eats watching TV (n = 382)
No	163 (43.2)	11	7.2	0.198
Yes	219 (56.8)	26	11.2	0.198
Practices physical activities at school (n = 357)
Yes	26 (6.1)	3	12.5	0.698
No	331 (93.9)	32	9.7	0.698
Diet (n = 385)
Breastfeeding
≥ 1 year	148 (42.1)	13	9.9	0.552
≥ 6 months < 1 year	96 (27.1)	13	12.0
< 6 months	96 (27.4)	5	5.9
He/she was never breastfed	4 (3.5)	2	10.6
Exclusive maternal breastfeeding
≥ 6 months	184 (48.4)	9	7.8	0.339
< 6 months	191 (51.6)	28	10.9	0.339
Junk food
Irregular consumption	284 (72.9)	27	9.7	0.859
Regular consumption	101 (27.1)	11	10.5	0.859
Soda
Irregular consumption	267 (68.3)	23	9.0	0.463
Regular consumption	118 (31.7)	15	11.8	0.463
Artificial powder juice containing sugar
Irregular consumption	252 (63.2)	18	7.3	0.015
Regular consumption	133 (36.8)	20	14.4	0.015
Nutritional status
Age BMI (n = 370)
Appropriate	250 (68.1)	25	10.3	0.890
With overweight	120 (31.9)	12	9.7	0.890
Age height
Appropriate	355 (95.1)	38	10.7	0.213
Low	18 (4.9)	0	0	0.213

Independent variables	Non-adjusted		Adjusted*
Independent variables	OR (95%CI)	p-value	OR (95%CI)	p-value
Block 1 – Demographic factors
Gender
Male	1	0.567	1	0.562
Female	1.21 (0.62 – 2.38)	0.567	1.22 (0.61 – 2.43)	0.562
Age (years)
2	1	0.951	1	0.941
3	1.06 (0.39 – 2.83)		1.04 (0.39 – 2.80)
4	1.15 (0.45 – 2.93)		1.16 (0.46 – 2.94)
Block 2 – Socioeconomic factors
Mother’s educational level (years)
≥ 8	1	0.020	1	0.016
< 8	2.95 (1.19 – 7.27)	0.020	3.03 (1.24 – 7.39)	0.016
Sanitary District**
Group I	1	0.077
Group II	1.38 (0.40 – 4.83)
Group III	2.58 (0.73 – 9.08)
Economic class**
A/B Classes	1	0.169
C Class	1.02 (0.41 – 2.54)
D/E Classes	2.32 (0.81 – 6.65)
Receives Bolsa Família grant**
No	1	0.094
Yes	2.00 (0.89 – 4.50)	0.094
Block 3 – Health-related factors
Artificial powder juice contanining sugar
Irregular consumption	1	0.017	1	0.017
Regular consumption	2.14 (1.15 – 4.00)	0.017	2.15 (1.15 – 4.02)	0.017
Eats watching TV**
No	1	0.202
Yes	1.62 (0.77 – 3.43)	0.202

Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715 - 2º andar - sl. 3 - Cerqueira César, 01246-904 São Paulo SP Brasil , Tel./FAX: +55 11 3085-5411 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: revbrepi@usp.br

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[1] Corresponding author: Maria do Carmo Matias Freire. Universidade Federal de Goiás. Faculdade de Odontologia. Praça Universitária, Setor Universitário, CEP 74605-220, Goiânia, GO, Brasil. E-mail: mcmfreire@yahoo.com.br