title: Caries prevalence and socioeconomic factors in children with sickle cell anemia.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate caries prevalence and socioeconomic factors in children with sickle cell anemia. This study was conducted in 160 children with sickle cell anemia aged 3 to 12 years attending the Center for Hematology in Recife, Brazil. Data collection included interviews with guardians concerning social factors and oral examinations to determine the caries prevalence. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson's chi-square tests at a 5% significance level. The caries prevalence was 55.0%. The dmft index was 2.12, and the DMFT index was 1.50. Income significantly influenced dmft; the mean dmft was 4.57 in children whose family income was less than the Brazilian minimum wage (BMW), whereas in children with a family income three times the BMW or higher, the mean dmft was 2.27. No statistically positive association was found between the educational level of parents and guardians and the caries indices. A statistically significant association was found between dental caries prevalence and family income.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of Pernambuco, Camaragibe, PE, Brazil. claudialuna20@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia Alves E
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Valdenice Aparecida
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Kátia Maria Gonçalves
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Fabiano Almeida Dos
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors