Association Between Eating Attitudes and Dental Caries Experience in Young Adults Attending a Private Dental Practice: A Cross-Sectional Study
- 1Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- 2Private Dental Practice, 700106 Iași, Romania
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Eating attitudes may be linked to oral health through behavioral and lifestyle mechanisms, but data on young adults remain limited. The primary objective was to assess the association between dietary attitudes and caries experience in young adults recruited from a private dental practice. Secondary analyses examined the psychometric properties of the EAT-40 and the relationships of its scores with BMI, oral health behaviors, and lifestyle factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 366 adults aged 18–25 years recruited by convenience sampling from a private dental practice in Iași. Eating attitudes were assessed using the EAT-40, oral health behaviors using the HU-DBI, and caries experience using the DMFT and DMFS indices. BMI was calculated based on self-reported weight and height. Exploratory factor analysis, Spearman correlations, negative binomial regression, and multiple linear regression were used. Results: The EAT-40 showed good internal consistency (α = 0.887), and the three-factor solution explained 36.6% of the variance. The total EAT-40 score showed weak positive correlations with DMFT and DMFS (ρ = 0.146; p = 0.005 for both), but was not significantly associated with DMFS in the fully adjusted model (IRR = 1.003; 95% CI: 0.997–1.010; p = 0.293) or in the sensitivity analysis (IRR = 1.005; 95% CI: 0.999–1.012; p = 0.122). None of the three EAT-40 dimensions was significantly associated with DMFS after adjustment. The total EAT-40 score was not significantly associated with BMI. Daily smoking was associated with higher DMFS values, whereas occasional smoking was not. Conclusions: In the study sample, EAT-40 scores were weakly associated with caries experience, but not independently with BMI. The results regarding EAT-40 dimensions remain exploratory, and the cross-sectional design does not allow for causal conclusions.
Related
- Exploring the Association Between Parenting Styles, Dental Anxiety, and Dental Caries Experience Among Children Attending a University Dental Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Study.
- Awareness, Attitudes, and Contraceptive Acceptance Among Women Attending a Tertiary-Care Center in Delhi: A Cross-Sectional Study
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Determinants of Wound Management Among Nurses and Midwives in Central Ethiopia: A Cross‐Sectional Study
- Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours toward evidence-based practice among healthcare professionals in Kuwait: a cross-sectional study
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Regarding Postoperative Rehabilitation Among Patients Who Underwent Biliary Surgery and Their Family Members: A Cross-Sectional Study.
BibTeX
@article{armencia2026association,
title = {{Association Between Eating Attitudes and Dental Caries Experience in Young Adults Attending a Private Dental Practice: A Cross-Sectional Study}},
author = {Adina Oana Armencia and Andrei Nicolau and Roxana Ionela Vasluianu and Alexandra Boloș and Carina Ana-Maria Balcos and Nicoleta Ioanid and Gabriel Condurache and Anca Mihaela Vitalariu and Irina Gradinaru and Georgiana Macovei},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nu18193273},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666866},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association Between Eating Attitudes and Dental Caries Experience in Young Adults Attending a Private Dental Practice: A Cross-Sectional Study
AU - Adina Oana Armencia
AU - Andrei Nicolau
AU - Roxana Ionela Vasluianu
AU - Alexandra Boloș
AU - Carina Ana-Maria Balcos
AU - Nicoleta Ioanid
AU - Gabriel Condurache
AU - Anca Mihaela Vitalariu
AU - Irina Gradinaru
AU - Georgiana Macovei
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18193273
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666866
AB - Background/Objectives: Eating attitudes may be linked to oral health through behavioral and lifestyle mechanisms, but data on young adults remain limited. The primary objective was to assess the association between dietary attitudes and caries experience in young adults recruited from a private dental practice. Secondary analyses examined the psychometric properties of the EAT-40 and the relationships of its scores with BMI, oral health behaviors, and lifestyle factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 366 adults aged 18–25 years recruited by convenience sampling from a private dental practice in Iași. Eating attitudes were assessed using the EAT-40, oral health behaviors using the HU-DBI, and caries experience using the DMFT and DMFS indices. BMI was calculated based on self-reported weight and height. Exploratory factor analysis, Spearman correlations, negative binomial regression, and multiple linear regression were used. Results: The EAT-40 showed good internal consistency (α = 0.887), and the three-factor solution explained 36.6% of the variance. The total EAT-40 score showed weak positive correlations with DMFT and DMFS (ρ = 0.146; p = 0.005 for both), but was not significantly associated with DMFS in the fully adjusted model (IRR = 1.003; 95% CI: 0.997–1.010; p = 0.293) or in the sensitivity analysis (IRR = 1.005; 95% CI: 0.999–1.012; p = 0.122). None of the three EAT-40 dimensions was significantly associated with DMFS after adjustment. The total EAT-40 score was not significantly associated with BMI. Daily smoking was associated with higher DMFS values, whereas occasional smoking was not. Conclusions: In the study sample, EAT-40 scores were weakly associated with caries experience, but not independently with BMI. The results regarding EAT-40 dimensions remain exploratory, and the cross-sectional design does not allow for causal conclusions.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -