Differences with regard to behaviour characteristics in externalising children with
an elevated caries risk were observed.
There are more children with externalising behaviour problems having
an elevated caries risk, compared to children in general in the Region of Västra Götaland, Sweden.
Differences were found in behavioural characteristics and the family structure in externalising children with
an elevated caries risk, compared to externalising children with a low caries risk.
This study has shown that there were statistically significant more children with
an elevated caries risk in the study group, compared to children in general, in the Region of Västra Götaland (RVG), both totally and within gender.
The elevated caries risk among children with externalising behaviour problems can to some extent be explained by their behavioural characteristics.
The aim of the present study was to compare two groups of children with externalising behaviour problems, having low and
elevated caries risks, respectively, in relation to behavioural characteristics and family structure and, further, to compare the caries risk assessment and gender differences in relation to children in general in the Region of Västra Götaland (RVG), Sweden.
To identify children at risk, data were dichotomised to low and
elevated caries risk.
Another possible explanation for externalising children having
an elevated caries risk may be that these children are challenging in their interactions with parents.
Children in
the elevated caries risk group showed higher mean values for conduct problems as well as impulsivity.
Children with externalising behaviour problems and
elevated caries risk are characterised by different behavioural characteristics and family structure, compared to externalising children with low caries risk.
Number of children in the household and the father's ethnicity in the low and
elevated caries risk groups, respectively
The elevated caries risk found among disruptive children, who also had non-Nordic father, is in accordance with a previous Swedish study where it was concluded that the parental migration background should be regarded as a caries risk factor (Julihn et al. 2010).
For the Conflict scale, a statistically significant difference was found with a higher mean value in the low caries risk group, compared with
the elevated caries risk group for less conflict (9.03 vs. 7.11; p = 0.006)(Table 3), indicating that there were less conflicts in the families with children belonging to
the elevated caries risk group.
To compare two groups of children with externalising behaviour problems, having low and
elevated caries risk, respectively.
A permissive parental attitude to dietary habits and tooth brushing could explain
the elevated caries risk, which is in agreement with findings of a Norwegian study (Skeie et al. 2006).
Children with externalising problems and
an elevated caries risk may share similar temperamental behaviours as children with an ADHD - associated diagnosis, and it could thus be possible to draw parallels with this group of children.
The percentage and number (in brackets) of boys and girls in the low, intermediate and high caries risk groups, and in
the elevated caries risk group (combining the intermediate and the high caries risk groups), respectively
Children with
an elevated caries risk lived more often in households with more than two children and had more often a father from a non-Nordic country.
Pearson's Chi - square test for categorical variables and t test for continuous variables were used to analyse family structure and to compare means for the low caries risk group to
the elevated caries risk group regarding child behavioural characteristics.
Not exact matches
From the results of the inductive analysis, it can be concluded that the pattern rules for the
caries risk grouping into «Low Risk» and «
Elevated Risk» are realistic.
As in the main study, intermediate and high
caries risk was merged into one group; thus, the two outcome values were «Low Risk» or «
Elevated Risk».