Dental Caries Is Correlated with Knowledge of Comprehensive Food Education in Japanese University Students

日本大学生龋齿患病率与对综合食育的了解呈现相关性

Daisuke Ekuni ； Takaaki Tomofuji ； Shinsuke Mizutani ； Michiko Furuta ； Koichiro Irie ； Tetsuji Azuma ； Azusa Kojima ； Yoshiaki Iwasaki ； Manabu Morita

《Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition》 22卷2期 (2013/04) Pp. 312-318

https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.2013.22.2.13

摘要

In Japan, the ”Food Education Basic Law” (The Basic Law on Shokuiku, food education) was enacted in 2005. The comprehensive food education programs, namely Shokuiku, aim to improve dietary practices to reduce lifestyle-related diseases. Dental caries is one of the diseases associated with inappropriate dietary habits. Thus, food education may influence the prevalence of dental caries. However, there are no data regarding the association between public based-food education and dental caries. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between knowledge about comprehensive food education (Shokuiku) and dental caries experience in Japanese university students. A total of 2,184 students (1,240 men, 944 women), aged 18-20 years, were examined. They had attended the Shokuiku program while in junior/senior high school. The numbers of teeth present, and decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) (dental caries experience) were recorded. Additional information was collected via a questionnaire regarding knowledge about food education, dietary habits and oral health behavior. Of the students, 315 men (20.7%) and 345 women (52.8%) reported that they know and can explain the meaning and content of the word ”Shokuiku”. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, subjects who did not have knowledge about Shokuiku had higher adjusted odds ratio (OR) for dental caries experience (DMFT＞0) than those who had (adjusted OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02-1.48; p＜0.05). These observations revealed that having knowledge about comprehensive food education in university students correlates with low prevalence of dental caries.

關鍵字

饮食教育 ； 龋齿病 ； 大学生 ； 横断面研究 ； 行为科学

並列摘要

In Japan, the ”Food Education Basic Law” (The Basic Law on Shokuiku, food education) was enacted in 2005. The comprehensive food education programs, namely Shokuiku, aim to improve dietary practices to reduce lifestyle-related diseases. Dental caries is one of the diseases associated with inappropriate dietary habits. Thus, food education may influence the prevalence of dental caries. However, there are no data regarding the association between public based-food education and dental caries. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between knowledge about comprehensive food education (Shokuiku) and dental caries experience in Japanese university students. A total of 2,184 students (1,240 men, 944 women), aged 18-20 years, were examined. They had attended the Shokuiku program while in junior/senior high school. The numbers of teeth present, and decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) (dental caries experience) were recorded. Additional information was collected via a questionnaire regarding knowledge about food education, dietary habits and oral health behavior. Of the students, 315 men (20.7%) and 345 women (52.8%) reported that they know and can explain the meaning and content of the word ”Shokuiku”. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, subjects who did not have knowledge about Shokuiku had higher adjusted odds ratio (OR) for dental caries experience (DMFT＞0) than those who had (adjusted OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02-1.48; p＜0.05). These observations revealed that having knowledge about comprehensive food education in university students correlates with low prevalence of dental caries.

並列關鍵字

food education ； dental caries ； university students ； cross-sectional studies ； behavioral science

參考文獻

Miyoshi M, Tsuboyama-Kasaoka N, Nishi N. School-based "Shokuiku" program in Japan: application to nutrition education in Asian countries. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2012;21: 159-62.

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Tagliaferro EP, Pereira AC, Meneghim Mde C, Ambrosano GM. Assessment of dental caries predictors in a seven-year longitudinal study. J Public Health Dent. 2006;66:169-73.