ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Epidemiology and Prevention
Relationship between behavioral-related variables and dental caries prevalence among university students: a cross-sectional study
Provisionally accepted
- China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing, China
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Objectives: To examine the association between behavioral-related variables (physical activity, BMI, dental check-ups) and dental caries prevalence among university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,322 university students using WHO oral examination criteria and a standardized behavioral questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was performed adjusting for sex to estimate associations between PA, BMI, dental check-up behaviors and dental caries. Results: The overall caries detection rate among college students was 35.1%. The rate was significantly higher in females (43.1%) than in males (24.1%, P<0.01). Binary logistic regression revealed that female gender (odds ratio [OR] = 2.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.90–2.79) was a risk factor for dental caries. Protective factors included regular dental examinations (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.46–0.69), moderate-intensity physical exercise ≥30 minutes per week (1–2 times/week: OR = 0.47; 3–4 times/week: OR = 0.32; ≥5 times/week: OR = 0.62), and normal body mass index (BMI; OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.62–0.90). Conclusions: Caries prevention strategies for college students should incorporate gender-specific approaches, emphasize regular dental examinations, and promote moderate physical exercise to reduce caries risk and support lifelong oral health management.
Keywords: Behavioral-related variables, Body Mass Index, Dental Caries, physical activity, university students
Received: 26 Aug 2025; Accepted: 03 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Chen, Wang, Zhao and Yanfeng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zhang Yanfeng
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