Background: Digit sucking can represent untreated anxiety or other emotional problems. The aim of this study\nwas to determine if digit sucking is a predictor of general anxiety and dental anxiety; and if general and dental\nanxiety are associated with caries and oral hygiene status of children resident in sub-urban Nigeria.\nMethods: This was a secondary data analysis of a household survey conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The level of\ngeneral anxiety and dental anxiety of 450 6 to12 year old children were measured using the Revised Child\nManifest Anxiety Scale and Dental Subscale of the Child Fear Survey Schedule respectively. Presence of digit\nsucking habit, caries and oral hygiene status were determined. General anxiety and dental anxiety scores were\ndichotomized into low and high levels respectively. Logistic regression was conducted to determine if digit\nsucking was a predictor of general anxiety and dental anxiety; and if general anxiety and dental anxiety were\npredictors caries and good oral hygiene status. Adjustments were made for age and sex.\nResults: Digit sucking is not a significant predictor of dental anxiety (p = 0.99) and general anxiety (p = 0.79).\nChildren with high general anxiety (AOR: 5.02; 95% CI: 2.9ââ?¬â??9.74; p < 0.001) and high dental anxiety (AOR: 1.74;\n95% CI: 1.15ââ?¬â??2.65; p = 0.009) had higher odds of having caries and good oral hygiene respectively.\nConclusion: Digit sucking was not a significant predictor of general anxiety and dental anxiety. General and\ndental anxiety however, had effects on the likelihood of having caries and good oral hygiene.
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