Assessing the Relationship between Healthy Eating and Oral Health Status among School Children Aged 7-12 Years in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India: A Cross-sectional Study
Published: November 1, 2025 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2025/76486.22054
Nandhini Ramesh, Vishnu Prasad Subramanian, Indra Priyadharshini Karthikeyan, Mahesh Jagadeson, Karthikayan Ravi, Revanth Meenatchi Prabhakaraa
1. Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India.
2. Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India.
3. Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India.
4. Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India.
5. Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India.
6. Senior Lecturer. Department of Public Health Dentistry, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Nandhini Ramesh,
Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Karpaga Vinayaga
Institute of Dental Sciences, Department of Public Health, Dentistry, 3rd Floor,
Chinnakol Ambakkam, Chengalpattu-603308, Tamil Nadu, India.
E-mail: nandyannam.1996@gmail.com
Introduction: Diet plays a major role in children’s nutritional status. Dietary intake and snacking habits, including consumption of low-nutrient-dense foods and high-sugar foods, contribute to the development of dental caries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that the prevalence of dental caries is higher among school children.
Aim: To assess the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and snacking patterns and their association with oral health status among children aged 7 to 12 years.
Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 800 school children at the Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, India, over a six-month period (August 2023-January 2024). A four-part questionnaire collected data on demographic variables, HEI, snacking patterns and caries assessment. Oral hygiene status was measured using the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index and the Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S), respectively, according to standard guidelines. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Among the 800 children, 460 (57.5%) were male and 340 (42.5%) were female, with a mean age of 9.14±1.54 years. The majority were in the fair HEI category 539 (67.4%) and had an unhealthy snacking pattern 659 (82.4%). The poor-HEI group had higher mean DMFT and OHI-S scores (1.85±2.13 and 1.61±0.51, respectively) compared with the good and fair HEI groups. There was a statistically significant difference in OHI-S scores among the HEI groups (p<0.001). Participants with unhealthy snacking patterns had higher DMFT and OHI-S scores (1.51±1.97 and 1.47±0.53, respectively); however, there was no significant difference compared with the healthy-snacking group (p>0.05). HEI showed a negative relationship with DMFT scores (r=-0.34, p=0.333) as well as with OHI-S (r=-0.89, p<0.012), indicating that lower HEI is associated with higher DMFT and poorer oral hygiene. Age and parental occupation were both significantly associated with DMFT scores in the linear regression model. HEI was found to be a significant predictor of OHI-S scores.
Conclusion: Children with poorer HEI scores had worse oral health and more dental caries. Children should be encouraged to eat healthily and to limit the intake of added sugars from sweetened beverages and meals to reduce the risk of dental illnesses.
[
FULL TEXT ] | [ PDF]