title: Association between sociodemographic factors and nutritive and non-nutritive sucking habits among Iranian girls.
abstract: Prolonged duration of finger- and pacifier-sucking may be a risk factor for maldevelopment of orofacial structures and dental occlusion. This study assessed the prevalence of nutritive and non-nutritive sucking habits and their association with some contributing factors among 7-year-old girls in Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran. Based on a questionnaire to the parents of 436 schoolgirls, the rate of current or previous pacifier-sucking was 26.6% and of finger-sucking was 10.6%. Child's birth rank and number of siblings and parents' educational level were significantly related to ever pacifier-sucking but not to finger-sucking. The highest prevalence of ever pacifier-sucking was among children who had been breast- and bottle-fed but finger-sucking was more common among exclusively breastfed children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Mashhad University of Medical Sdciences, Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran. jahanbina@mums.ac.ir
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jahanbin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mokhber
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jabbarimani
mesh_terms: D001722:Birth Order; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005386:Fingersucking / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D041361:Pacifiers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013391:Sucking Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires