Association of nutritional status with institution type, residence area and oral health among school children in India

Poor nutritional status among rural adolescents contributes significantly to increased plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation. Therefore, it is of interest to compare and assess the nutritional status based on their place of residence and the institution type and its potential consequences on the plaque and gingival condition among high school children. Two hundred 12 -15 years old school children of 100 each of the government and the private schools of the rural area known as Rajanagaram were chosen to take part in the study. A Nutrition Evaluation Chart and Plaque and Gingival Index were used to check the selected children on their nutritional status and plaque and gingival status, respectively. The two groups differed greatly in terms of the plaque and nutritional status. Adolescents from lower socioeconomic, government school backgrounds in a rural area show significantly poorer nutrient scores and higher plaque scores than their private school counterparts.