Association of Age and Sex with Dental Caries among Elementary School Children in a Primary Health Care Setting in Semarang, Indonesia

Deskripsi

Dental caries remains an unresolved public health challenge in elementary school–aged children and may compromise nutritional health, educational attainment, and overall life quality. This study explored the influence of age and sex on the occurrence of dental caries among elementary school–aged children within the service area of Kedungmundu Primary Health Center, Semarang. A quantitative cross-sectional design was applied using secondary data obtained from routine dental health examinations involving 9,323 students. The entire study population was analyzed using a total sampling strategy, with univariate statistical procedures and Chi-square analysis applied to the data. The findings revealed that the prevalence of dental caries was comparable between boys and girls, with no statistically significant association observed between sex and caries occurrence (p = 0.872). Conversely, age demonstrated a significant relationship with dental caries, as younger children exhibited a higher prevalence compared to adolescents (PR = 0.536; 95% CI: 0.494–0.583; p < 0.001). These results indicate that age plays a more influential role than sex in determining dental caries occurrence among school-aged children. Strengthening early preventive and promotive oral health efforts targeting younger age groups is therefore essential to reduce the burden of dental caries in school settings.