Eating Behavior Traits and Dental Caries among Primary School Children in Bangladesh

Introduction: Dental caries is a common and preventable oral health problem among school-aged children, with dietary patterns and eating behaviors potentially influencing caries risk. Aims and Objectives: To assess eating behavior traits and dental caries status and to determine the association between eating behavior traits and dental caries among primary school children. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 162 children from Classes 1–4 at Ideal School and College, Motijheel, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January to December 2023. Data were collected through parent interviews using the Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) and a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Dental caries was assessed using the WHO DMFT index. Results: Dental caries was present in 59.3% of children, with a mean DMFT score of 2.00±2.46. Food fussiness had the highest mean CEBQ score (17.73±2.80), followed by satiety responsiveness (14.86±3.27) and enjoyment of food (12.08±3.63). None of the eight CEBQ subscales was significantly associated with dental caries (p>0.05). However, dental caries was significantly associated with consumption of sugar-containing drinks (p=0.022) and frequency of milk consumption (p=0.024). Food responsiveness scores also differed significantly according to the frequency of sugar-containing food consumption (p=0.001). Conclusion: Dental caries was prevalent among the study children, but no significant association was found between CEBQ-measured eating behavior traits and dental caries. Selected dietary practices were significantly associated with dental caries. Medicine Today 2026, Vol.38 (2): 304-310