Is parity a cause of tooth loss? Perceptions of northern Nigerian Hausa women.

BACKGROUND:Reproduction affects the general health of women, especially when parity is high. The relationship between parity and oral health is not as clear, although it is a widespread customary belief that pregnancy results in tooth loss. Parity has been associated with tooth loss in some populations, but not in others. It is important to understand the perceptions of women regarding the association between parity and tooth loss as these beliefs may influence health behaviors during the reproductive years. AIM:To explore the views of Hausa women regarding the link between parity and tooth loss. METHODS:Qualitative data were collected through a grounded theory approach with focus group discussions (FGDs) of high and low parity Hausa women (n = 33) in northern Nigeria. Responses were elicited on the causes of tooth loss, effects of tooth loss on women's quality of life, issues of parity and tooth loss, and cultural beliefs about parity and tooth loss. The data were analyzed thematically using ATLAS-ti. RESULTS:Respondents associated tooth loss with vomiting during labor, a condition termed 'payar baka'. Poor oral hygiene, excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates, tooth worm, cancer and ageing were also believed to cause tooth loss. The greatest impacts of tooth loss on the lives of the respondents were esthetic and masticatory changes. CONCLUSION:Respondents perceived that parity is indirectly linked to tooth loss, as reflected in their views on the association between vomiting during labor and tooth loss

Association between family structure and oral health of children with mixed dentition in suburban Nigeria

Context: Family structures can affect the oral health of the child. However, little is known about the impact of the family structure on oral health of children in Africa. Aims: To determine the association between family structure, twice daily toothbrushing, use of fluoridated toothpaste, caries, and oral hygiene status of 5–12-year-old children resident in semi-urban Nigeria. Settings and Design: Secondary analysis of the data of 601 children recruited through a household survey conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: The association between dependent variables (presence of caries, good oral hygiene, use of fluoridated toothpaste, and twice daily toothbrushing) and the family structure (parental structure, number of siblings, and birth rank) was determined. Statistical Analysis Used: Simple and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the association. The regression models were adjusted for age and gender. Results: Children who were not primogenitor had significantly reduced odds of using fluoridated toothpaste (AOR: 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85–0.97; P = 0.01) when compared with children who were primogenitors or only children. Furthermore, having 0–2 siblings significantly reduced the odds of having caries (AOR: 0.46; CI: 0.28–0.78; P < 0.001) when compared with children who had three or more siblings. Children who used fluoridated toothpaste had significantly increased odds of having good oral hygiene (AOR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.18–2.28; P < 0.001). Conclusions: For this study population, the number of siblings and the birth rank increased the chances of having caries and use of fluoridated toothpaste, respectively

Opracowanie i wstępne badania nad przyjaznym kulturowo narzędziem do oszacowania bólu u dzieci − Skala Bólu wg Wizerunków Płaczących Twarzy (Crying Faces Pain Scale)

Having a universal tool for assessing pain in children is hamstrung by cultural sensitivity. This study aimed to develop and validate a culturally-friendly pain assessment tool (i.e. Crying Faces Pain Scale (CFPS)) among Nigerian Children. This study employed criterion-standard design. The study was in three phases, namely: (1) development of CFPS, (2) cross-validity and (3) validation of the CFPS. 70 children (39 (55.7%) males and 31 (44.3%) females) within the age range of 4-13 years who had post-surgical pain, orthopaedic pain, stomach pain or headache were involved in the validation phase. Psychometric properties and preferences for the CFPS compared with the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (FACES) were examined. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Alpha level was set at p<0.05. The median score of the CFPS was 4.60 compared to FACES median score of 4.49. There was weak correlation between FACES and CFPS (r=0.325; p=0.006). Preference score as a culturally friendly tool for CFPS and FACES was 6.07±1.23 and 3.67±1.09 respectively, based on a modified 0-10 numerical pain scale. Conclusions: The crying faces pain scale has fair psychometric properties for assessing pain in children. However, CFPS was preferred to FACES as a culturally friendly tool for assessing pain among Nigerian children. Implications: The CFPS is more culturally friendly and so might be better suited as a pain scale in Africa. However, due to its fair psychometric properties, further studies may be needed to improve upon this scale.Podstawy i cele: Posiadanie uniwersalnego narzędzia do oceny bólu u dzieci jest utrudnione przez wrażliwość kulturową. Badanie to miało na celu opracowanie i walidację przyjaznego kulturowo narzędzia do oceny bólu u dzieci tj. Skali Bólu wg Wizerunków Płaczących Twarzy (Crying Faces Pain Scale, CFPS) wśród nigeryjskich dzieci. Metody: W badaniu tym zastosowano standard wzorcowy. Badanie odbyło się w 3 fazach, mianowicie: 1) opracowanie CFPS, 2) walidacja krzyżowa oraz 3) walidacja CFPS. W fazie walidacji wzięło udział 70 dzieci, (39 (55.7%) chłopców i 31 (44.3%) dziewcząt) w przedziale wiekowym 4-13 lat, cierpiących na ból pooperacyjny, ból ortopedyczny, ból brzucha czy ból głowy. Zbadano właściwości psychometryczne i preferencje dla CFPS, w porównaniu z Graficzną Skalą Oceny Bólu Wonga-Bakera (FACES, Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale). Do analizy danych wykorzystano statystyki opisowe i inferencyjne. Poziom Alpha ustawiono na p<0.05. Wyniki: Średni wynik dla CFPS wyniósł 4,60, w porównaniu do średniego wyniku FACES wynoszącego 4,49. Wystąpiła słaba korelacja pomiędzy FACES a CFPS (r=0,325; p=0,.006). Preferowany wynik dla kulturowo przyjaznego narzędzia dla CFPS i FACES wyniósł odpowiednio 6,07 ±1,23 i 3,67 ±1,09, na podstawie zmodyfikowanej liczbowej skali bólu 0-10. Wnioski: Skala CFPS ma wystarczające właściwości psychometryczne do szacowania bólu u dzieci. Jednak preferowano bardziej CFPS niż FACES, jako bardziej przyjazne kulturowo narzędzie do oceny bólu wśród dzieci w Nigerii. Implikacje: CFPS jest bardziej przyjazny kulturowo i dlatego mógłby być bardziej odpowiedni, jako skala bólu w Afryce. Jednak, ze względu na swoje właściwości psychometryczne, potrzebne będą dalsze badania w celu poprawy tej skali