Association between environmental stress factors, salivary cortisol level and dental caries in Egyptian preschool children: a case-control study
Abstract Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease in childhood. This study aimed to identify environmental stressors in children and estimate the association between salivary cortisol level as a stress biomarker and childhood caries. We conducted a case-control study involving 80 Egypti...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94327-0 |
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| author | Yosra Ahmed Hussein Rania Hussein Refai Mai M. K. Hussein Mamdouh Hanafy Abdou Magdy Mohamed El Bordini Ola Mohamed Ewais Mohamed Fakhry Hussein |
| author_facet | Yosra Ahmed Hussein Rania Hussein Refai Mai M. K. Hussein Mamdouh Hanafy Abdou Magdy Mohamed El Bordini Ola Mohamed Ewais Mohamed Fakhry Hussein |
| author_sort | Yosra Ahmed Hussein |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease in childhood. This study aimed to identify environmental stressors in children and estimate the association between salivary cortisol level as a stress biomarker and childhood caries. We conducted a case-control study involving 80 Egyptian children. The cases were 40 children with early childhood caries (ECC). The controls included 40 caries-free children. Data were collected from the parents or caregivers of the children using a questionnaire. The clinical examination included caries experience and an oral hygiene index. Saliva samples were collected and tested for unbounded cortisol levels. The results from the current study showed that the mean age for participants was 5.09 ± 0.66 years. Twenty-one of the children with ECC were girls. In multivariate regression, there is a significant association between ECC and elevated salivary cortisol levels (> 0.57 µg/dl) with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 9.649 (p = 0.003), father smoking (AOR = 5.791, p = 0.030), sleeping with a bottle or food in the mouth (AOR = 8.481, p = 0.027), and poor oral hygiene evaluated through the Silness-Löe Plaque Index (AOR = 6.681, p = 0.001). As a conclusion, the study indicates that salivary cortisol is an independent stress biomarker in relation to early childhood caries. Salivary cortisol as a stress biomarker can help clinicians provide an additional assessment tool for identifying caries risk in children. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8e352c34cec74974ab67958430a8b9dd |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-8e352c34cec74974ab67958430a8b9dd2025-08-20T03:07:40ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-94327-0Association between environmental stress factors, salivary cortisol level and dental caries in Egyptian preschool children: a case-control studyYosra Ahmed Hussein0Rania Hussein Refai1Mai M. K. Hussein2Mamdouh Hanafy Abdou3Magdy Mohamed El Bordini4Ola Mohamed Ewais5Mohamed Fakhry Hussein6Dental Unit, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria UniversityDepartment of Medicine Supply and Pharmacy, Alexandria University Hospitals, Alexandria UniversityClinical Research Administration, Alexandria Directorate of Health AffairsDepartment of Occupational Health and Industrial Medicine, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria UniversityDepartment of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria UniversityDental Unit, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria UniversityDepartment of Occupational Health and Industrial Medicine, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria UniversityAbstract Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease in childhood. This study aimed to identify environmental stressors in children and estimate the association between salivary cortisol level as a stress biomarker and childhood caries. We conducted a case-control study involving 80 Egyptian children. The cases were 40 children with early childhood caries (ECC). The controls included 40 caries-free children. Data were collected from the parents or caregivers of the children using a questionnaire. The clinical examination included caries experience and an oral hygiene index. Saliva samples were collected and tested for unbounded cortisol levels. The results from the current study showed that the mean age for participants was 5.09 ± 0.66 years. Twenty-one of the children with ECC were girls. In multivariate regression, there is a significant association between ECC and elevated salivary cortisol levels (> 0.57 µg/dl) with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 9.649 (p = 0.003), father smoking (AOR = 5.791, p = 0.030), sleeping with a bottle or food in the mouth (AOR = 8.481, p = 0.027), and poor oral hygiene evaluated through the Silness-Löe Plaque Index (AOR = 6.681, p = 0.001). As a conclusion, the study indicates that salivary cortisol is an independent stress biomarker in relation to early childhood caries. Salivary cortisol as a stress biomarker can help clinicians provide an additional assessment tool for identifying caries risk in children.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94327-0Preschool childrenEarly childhood cariesEnvironmental risk factorsSalivary cortisolStress |
| spellingShingle | Yosra Ahmed Hussein Rania Hussein Refai Mai M. K. Hussein Mamdouh Hanafy Abdou Magdy Mohamed El Bordini Ola Mohamed Ewais Mohamed Fakhry Hussein Association between environmental stress factors, salivary cortisol level and dental caries in Egyptian preschool children: a case-control study Scientific Reports Preschool children Early childhood caries Environmental risk factors Salivary cortisol Stress |
| title | Association between environmental stress factors, salivary cortisol level and dental caries in Egyptian preschool children: a case-control study |
| title_full | Association between environmental stress factors, salivary cortisol level and dental caries in Egyptian preschool children: a case-control study |
| title_fullStr | Association between environmental stress factors, salivary cortisol level and dental caries in Egyptian preschool children: a case-control study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association between environmental stress factors, salivary cortisol level and dental caries in Egyptian preschool children: a case-control study |
| title_short | Association between environmental stress factors, salivary cortisol level and dental caries in Egyptian preschool children: a case-control study |
| title_sort | association between environmental stress factors salivary cortisol level and dental caries in egyptian preschool children a case control study |
| topic | Preschool children Early childhood caries Environmental risk factors Salivary cortisol Stress |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94327-0 |
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