Epidemiology and associated factors of gingivitis in adolescents in Guangdong Province, Southern China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Gingivitis is the most prevalent form of periodontal disease in children and adolescents, being strongly associated to some socioeconomic factors and oral health behaviours. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of gingivitis and its association with socio-demographic factors and oral health-related behaviours in children aged 12–15 years in Guangdong, Southern China. METHODS: A total of 7680 children were sampled using an equal-sized, stratified, multistage, random sampling method and clinically examined between December 2015 and April 2016. A questionnaire on socio-demographic factors and oral health-related behaviours related to gingivitis was completed by each of the selected children. Gingival bleeding was recorded using the Community Periodontal Index probe, and children with a gingival bleeding positive score ≥ 10% were defined as having gingivitis. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between socio-demographic factors and gingivitis. All statistical tests were performed at a two-sided significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The weighted prevalence of gingivitis among 12–15-year-old children was 29.6%, with 22.6% having localised gingivitis and 7.0% having generalised gingivitis. Age differences were observed in the prevalence of gingivitis, whereas urban-rural differences were not. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis results, factors such as increasing age, being the only child, lack of regular annual dental check-up, and heavy dental calculus were significantly associated with higher prevalence of gingivitis. In addition, the association of gingivitis with these factors was inconsistent among the urban and rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: Dental calculus and oral health behaviour were found to be important factors for maintaining the gingival health of children aged 12–15 years in Guangdong. Maintaining gingival health in children requires promoting positive oral health behaviours and regular dental prophylaxis.