Factors Affecting Oral Hygiene Behavior in 9-12-Year-Old Children Based on Data from Fars Birth Cohort Study

Background: Several factors may influence oral hygiene behavior, which is essential for oral health and well-being in children. This study aimed to investigate the factors that contribute to the oral hygiene behaviors in children, especially mothers’ oral hygiene behaviors.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data from the fifth phase of Fars Birth Cohort Study were used. Our focus was on a group of 1143 children aged 9-12 years old in the year 2021. The demographic, socio-economic variables as well as oral hygiene behaviors of children and their mothers were assessed. The score for oral hygiene behavior was determined based on self-reported practices of brushing, flossing, and mouthwash, ranged between 0 and 3. The factors related to children’s oral hygiene behavior were examined by logistic regression analysis.Results: In this study, 345 (30.2%) of the children (50.3% females, average age 10.33±0.48 years) did not brush their teeth, 1042 (91.2%) did not use dental floss, and 1083 (94.8%) did not use mouthwash. The mean score for oral hygiene behavior in children was 0.83±0.67. Mothers had a higher mean score of 1.42±0.74 (P<0.001). Several factors were found to be significantly associated with oral hygiene behavior in children, including higher scores for mothers’ oral hygiene behavior (OR=2.18, P<0.001), living in the center of the province (OR=0.73, P=0.04), having insurance (OR=1.47, P=0.03), and having a government-employed mother (OR=0.52, P=0.025). Children with regular six-monthly or yearly visits had higher odds compared with those who visited the dentist only when a problem arose (OR=7.27, P=0.009, and OR=2.33, P=0.01, respectively).Conclusion: The study revealed unacceptable oral hygiene behaviors in 9-12-year-old children, and showed the gap between oral hygiene behavior in mothers and children. The mother’s role in promoting oral health and hygiene is crucial. Future research should consider mediating and confounding impacts of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to oral hygiene

The Effects of Ginger (<i>Zingiber Officinale</i> Roscoe) on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prominent etiological factor for liver cirrhosis worldwide. It is frequently associated with obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who have NAFLD. In a two-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, seventy-six patients diagnosed with both T2DM and NAFLD were randomly assigned to receive either ginger powder capsules (1000 mg, twice daily) or placebo capsules (administered in the same manner) for a period of three months. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure readings, biochemical profiles, and imaging parameters were assessed before and after the intervention. Safety measures were also evaluated. In both the ginger and placebo groups, there was a significant reduction in mean body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, as well as liver transaminase levels. Moreover, significant improvements in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were observed in the ginger group (p = 0.02 and p = 0.002 and 0.004, respectively). Furthermore, the ginger group exhibited an improvement in serum HDL-cholesterol level (p = 0.01). However, there were no significant changes in the assessed inflammatory markers or the indices obtained from fibroscan imaging, including steatosis percent and controlled attenuation parameter. This study demonstrates that ginger supplementation can significantly improve mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures. However, it does not have a significant impact on inflammatory markers or fibroscan imaging indices. Nonetheless, the three-month use of ginger improves serum insulin level, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and HDL-cholesterol level compared to baseline values. Further investigations with longer durations and larger sample sizes are recommended.</p