title: Effect of Nutritional Habits on Dental Caries in Permanent Dentition among Schoolchildren Aged 10-12 Years: A Zero-Inflated Generalized Poisson Regression Model Approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the associations between nutrition and dental caries in permanent dentition among schoolchildren.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was undertaken on 698 schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 yr from a random sample of primary schools in Kermanshah, western Iran, in 2014. The study was based on the data obtained from the questionnaire containing information on nutritional habits and the outcome of decayed/missing/filled teeth (DMFT) index. The association between predictors and dental caries was modeled using the Zero Inflated Generalized Poisson (ZIGP) regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen percent of the children were caries free. The model was shown that in female children, the odds of being in a caries susceptible sub-group was 1.23 (95% CI: 1.08-1.51) times more likely than boys (P=0.041). Additionally, mean caries count in children who consumed the fizzy soft beverages and sweet biscuits more than once daily was 1.41 (95% CI: 1.19-1.63) and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.18-1.37) times more than children that were in category of less than 3 times a week or never, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Girls were at a higher risk of caries than boys were. Since our study showed that nutritional status may have significant effect on caries in permanent teeth, we recommend that health promotion activities in school should be emphasized on healthful eating practices; especially limiting beverages containing sugar to only occasionally between meals.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Afshin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almasi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahimiforoushani
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Eshraghian
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mohammad
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pasdar
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tarrahi
authors.affiliation: Modeling of Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, Dept. of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moghimbeigi
authors.affiliation: Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Touraj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ahmadi Jouybari
keywords: Dental caries; Nutritional habits; Schoolchildren; Zero Inflated generalized poisson regression model