Oral Pathology and Overweight among Pupils in Government Primary Schools in Cameroon: A Cross-sectional study

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Abstract Background Tooth decay and periodontal diseases are the main oral pathologies in the world. In Cameroon, a prevalence of 43% and 75% for tooth decay and periodontal disease respectively was reported in 2015. Studies shown that the prevalence of overweight was between 12.5% and 18.8% among pupils in Cameroon. These diseases share common factors associated with their burden and the consequence is the resurgence of their complications. In Cameroon, primary school enrolment rate for children aged 6 to 11 years is 93.5% and the demographic burden of pupils represent an important target. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between oral pathologies and overweight in pupils of primary schools of Cameroon. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out from June to August 2020 in four government primary schools selected through cluster sampling in Yaounde, capital city of Cameroon. Up to 650 pupils aged between 6 and 11 years whose parents gave their approval were enrolled in this study. Data collected included anthropometric, oral pathologies, quality of oral hygiene and feeding habits. The anthropometric and socio-demographic data of their mothers was also collected. Data was analyzed with the SPSS 26.0 statistical software and binary logistic regression was used to determine the risks of oral pathologies in overweight pupils. P-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Out of 650 pupils sampled, 352 were girls (54.2%) and 298 boys (45.8%). The prevalence of overweight was 27% (95% CI: 23.5–30.5). The main oral pathologies were tooth decay (60.3%), gingivitis (33.1%) and periodontitis (20.2%). Binary logistic regression revealed that overweight pupils were significantly 1.5 times more likely to develop tooth decay than non-overweight pupils (95% CI: 1.1–2.4). Conclusion Overweight, tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontitis are prevalent among pupils in Cameroon. Overweight pupils have a higher risk of developing tooth decay compared to non-obese pupils. An integrated package of oral and nutritional health promotion activities is needed in primary schools in Cameroon.

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