Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the direct and indirect pathways between verbal bullying and adverse oral conditions among school-aged children.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 8- to 10-year-old children, enrolled in public schools in Southern Brazil. Verbal bullying was collected by self-reports. Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, household income, and caregivers’ educational level) and oral conditions (anterior open bite, anterior teeth crowding, upper anterior diastema, large overjet, untreated dental caries, and PUFA index). The pathways between verbal bullying and the independent variables were analysed through structural equation modelling.
Results
1369 children were included. The prevalence of verbal bullying was 26.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 23.9–28.6%). Verbal bullying was directly influenced by large overjet (standard coefficient [SC] 0.13, P < 0.01), untreated dental caries (SC 0.63, P = 0.01) and PUFA index (SC 0.75, P = 0.02). Sex (SC − 0.005, P = .04) and age (SC − 0.006, P < 0.01) indirectly influenced verbal bullying via untreated dental caries.
Conclusions
Verbal bullying was directly influenced by large overjet, untreated dental caries and PUFA index. Sex and age indirectly impacted verbal bullying through untreated dental caries.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior—Brasil (CAPES), Grant number 001.
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PSS, MEE, GPB, JSM, AFB, CMS, MB, and MC conceived the ideas (conceptualization); PSS, MEE, GPB, and JSM collected the data; PSS, MEE, GPB, JSM, and AFB formal analysis; PSS, MEE, GPB, and JSM led the writing (original draft), and all authors revised the final version of the manuscript.
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The present research has been conducted in full accordance with ethical principles, including the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the local Human Research Ethics Committee under Protocol number 902.663.
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Santos, P.S., Evangelista, M.E., Brancher, G.P. et al. Pathways between verbal bullying and oral conditions among school children. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 24, 499–505 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-023-00818-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-023-00818-x