Peer-reviewed article
CORRELATION BETWEEN BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AND DENTAL CARIES STATUS USING THE HI-BOGI APPLICATION AT SDN CITEREUP CIMAHI Authors
Ayu Asri Lestari, Nanda Resti Fauzi ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This cross-sectional study looked at the link between body mass index (BMI) and tooth decay (dental caries) among 131 primary school students aged 6–12 years in Indonesia. Most children (75.6%) were underweight, and nearly half (48.1%) had very high caries severity. Lower BMI was linked to more severe tooth decay, with a statistically significant negative correlation. The authors suggest that nutritional status should be part of oral health promotion and prevention for school-aged children.
Key points
- 131 students in grades 1–6, aged 6–12 years, were included using total sampling.
- 75.6% were underweight, 19.1% normal weight, 3.8% overweight and 1.5% had grade 1 obesity.
- 48.1% had very high caries severity, 21.4% high, 21.4% moderate, 3.1% low and 6.1% very low.
- Spearman correlation showed a significant negative association between BMI and caries status (r = −0.371; p < 0.01).
- Lower BMI was associated with greater dental caries severity.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design in a single school cannot show that low BMI causes tooth decay, or the direction of the relationship. The abstract gives no information on other factors such as diet or oral hygiene habits, and the results may not apply beyond this school. The abstract also names the school differently (Citereup in the title, Cireundeu in the text).
Abstract
Optimal growth and development in children require adequate nutritional status, which can be assessed using body mass index (BMI). In Indonesia, nutritional problems remain prevalent among school-aged children, including in West Java. Poor nutritional status may be associated with an increased burden of dental caries. This study aimed to determine the association between BMI and dental caries status using the HI-BOGI application among students at SDN Cireundeu. An analytic observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted among 131 students in grades 1–6, aged 6–12 years. Total sampling was used for participant selection. The independent variable was BMI, and the dependent variable was dental caries status. Data were analyzed using the Spearman correlation test. Most respondents (75.6%) were underweight, while 19.1% had normal weight, 3.8% were overweight, and 1.5% had grade 1 obesity. Regarding dental caries status, 48.1% of respondents had very high caries severity, 21.4% had high severity, 21.4% had moderate severity, 3.1% had low severity, and 6.1% had very low severity. Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated a significant negative association between BMI and dental caries status (r = −0.371; p < 0.01). These findings indicate that lower BMI was associated with greater dental caries severity, whereas children with higher or normal BMI tended to have lower caries severity. The findings highlight the importance of addressing nutritional status as part of comprehensive oral health promotion and preventive dental care among school-aged children.