Introduction:

children from native communities are exposed to inequities and inequalities in nutrition and oral health.

Objective:

determine the relationship between iron-deficiency anemia and the prevalence of dental caries among schoolchildren from Peruvian native communities.

Methods:

a cross-sectional study was conducted of children from the native communities in Satipo, Junín, Peru. The sample was 120 schoolchildren aged 6-12 years selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and in compliance with the ethical standards of scientific research. Hemoglobin concentration was measured with the system HemoCue®. Evaluation of the nutritional status was based on body mass index. Oral conditions were assessed with the following indicators: rate of tooth decay, loss and fillings, significant caries index, simplified oral health index and index of clinical consequences of untreated dental caries. Data were analyzed with the software STATA v. 14. Association between the variables was estimated with the chi-square test. A value of p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results:

mean hemoglobin concentration was 11.9 mg/dl (1.49); prevalence of anemia was 44.16%: most schoolchildren were undernourished: 109 (90.83%). Prevalence, experience and significance of dental caries was 93.33%, 5.23 and 7.51, respectively. An association was observed between iron-deficiency anemia and the prevalence of dental caries (p=0.011).

Conclusions:

a statistically significant association was found between the variables studied (p> 0.05).

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