Children's and Parents' Marburg Sugar Index (MSI) Values: Are They Comparable?

Assessing sugar intake rapidly - a short form of the Marburg Sugar Index (MSI)

BACKGROUND

Sugar intake is a major nutritional factor in the development of dental caries. To further clarify its contribution to oral health-related diseases, population-based investigations are recommended. To facilitate economic and reliable assessment of sugar intake, a short form of the approved Marburg Sugar Index (MSI) was developed.

METHODS

According to the principles of item reduction based on original data, a six-item-short form was constructed. A total of 468 participants (aged 15-81) answered the short form together with the long form in a counterbalanced cross-over design, and with two questionnaires concerning self-efficacy and decisional balance in oral health to verify construct validity.

RESULTS

Comparable item characteristics to the original MSI and a high correlation with the long form prove the usefulness of the short form, which was processed by the participants in less than one minute. Low correlations to the other two constructs show discriminant validity.

CONCLUSION

The new short form of the MSI (MSI-S) can replace the long form, especially in population-based studies with no restrictions on assessment quality but with sufficient time saved to add other variables necessary to explore oral health-related issues.

Oral Health Care of People with Down Syndrome in Germany

BACKGROUND

Due to a dearth of information on preventive and supportive oral care for people with Down Syndrome (PDS) in Germany, caregivers of PDS were surveyed on the topic.

METHODS

An anonymized questionnaire was sent to the 610 members of the German Down Syndrome Association. The study was approved by the ethics committee of Witten/Herdecke University (# 165/2017).

RESULTS

The parents/caregivers of 207 PDS responded. These PDS were between 1 and 55 years old (mean age 24.4 years) and included 111 males and 96 females. At their first dental appointment, 40.7% (n = 82) had been younger than three years. Although 78.3% (n = 162) tooth brushed twice daily, only 30.9% (n = 64) brushed for 2-3 min; 84.0% (n = 135) did not use other dental hygiene products apart from toothbrushes. Age-specific differences were found: Although only 30.8% (n = 12) of PDS < 18 years (n = 39) independently performed dental self-care; this was 67.3% (n = 113) for PDS ≥ 18 years (n = 168). A statistically significant (p < 0.001; Chi-Square-Test) difference in toothbrush preferences emerged: While PDS < 18 years mainly used manual toothbrushes, PDS ≥ 18 years preferred electric toothbrushes. In contrast to 72.6% of PDS ≥ 18 years, only 51.3% of PDS < 18 years accepted most types of toothpaste.

CONCLUSIONS

Age-dependent differences in tooth brushing behaviour became evident within the group of PDS in Germany. Hence, better age-specific, inter-professional dental prophylaxis concepts need to be developed and offered for all age groups of PDS. These concepts should include personalized check-up intervals and hands-on instruction in dental hygiene procedures by dental practitioners.