الفهرس 
AcknowledgementOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Non-nutritive sucking habit, is a repetitive behavior that serves no perceivable social function, but effects the occlusion if persists for a longer period. NNSH not only receives attention from health professionals but often is an area that greatly concerns the parents and family of a child who practice this habit. It is, therefore, most important for the dentist who cares for children to understand this habit well to be able to help the parents and the child relate rationally to it and to manage the child’s dental situation.
The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of NNSHs and associated factors, among preschools and primary school Egyptian children in Giza Governorate, Egypt.
Permission to carry out the study was obtained from the relevant schools’ authorities and principals of respective schools before proceeding. Written informed consents were also obtained from the parents/guardians of students participating in this study to use information supplied in the questionnaires for research purpose and receive dental educational session according to respective school program.
This study was conducted on 1023 children aged 3-8 years old. Students were selected from different private preschools and private primary schools in Giza. Cooperative responses of Egyptian participants of both sexes were included in this study. However, participants who supplied missing data of one or more of the eligibility criteria, medically compromised children, children with cleft lip and/or palate, children with orthodontic appliance or children under habit prevention program were all excluded.
A closed-ended self- designed modified questionnaire was prepared to be used in the study for collecting personal information and information about the presence or absence of NNSHs and assumed associated factors to be studied. The questionnaire was formulated in both Arabic and English languages to be easily understood by parents and results were later translated into English before being sent to statistician.
The study sample was subdivided into two groups, group (A) for those children who reported no shedding of primary dentition yet, and group (B) for those children who reported shedding of any of primary dentition.
The results of the study revealed the following:
• The prevalence of NNSHs among the whole sample of students was (17.2%).
• Females showed higher prevalence (52.3%), than males (47.7%).
• (76.7%) of children practicing NNSHs did not shed any primary teeth yet, while (23.3%) started shedding of primary dentition.
• Thumb sucking was the most prevalent NNSHs (73.3%), with highest frequency in males.
• More than half of children with NNSHs (52.8%), started the habit in the first six months of life.
• More than half of children with NNSHs (64.2%) are practicing the NNSHs day and night.
• (70.5%) of children practicing the NNSHs for more than 6 hours daily.
• (67.9%) of males and (45.7%) of females reported thumb sucking and were in group (A).
• (45.2%) of males and (38%) of females reported starting NNSHs since birth to 6 months old and were in group (A).
• (55.4%) of females and (41.7%) of males reported practicing NNSHs during day and night and were in group (A).
• (64.3%) of males and (54.3%) of females reported practicing NNSHs ≥ 6 hours/day and were in group (A).
The highest prevalence of NNSHs among studied factor were:
• Females of first birth rank in group (A); (41.3%)
• Male participants with one sibling in group (A); (39.3%).
• Male participants of full-term pregnancy from group (A); (64.3%).
• Males who has been depending on combination feeding for nursing in infancy from group (A), (41.7%).
• Females of group (A) who reported breastfeeding duration for equal or more than 6 months showed the highest prevalence, (62%) and females of group (A), who reported bottle feeding for less than 12 months, (55.4%).
• Female participants of non-smoking mothers from group (A) showed highest prevalence (77.2%).
• Females who reported mother work outside home in group (A), (50%).
• Female participants for married parents from group (B), (76.1%).
A statistically significant difference was found in the following factors indication association to NNSHs:
• Child birth rank in both females and males.
• Number of siblings in both females and males.
• Pattern of feeding in both females and males.
• Duration of breastfeeding in both females and males.
• Duration of bottle feeding in both females and males.
• Maternal smoking in both females and males.
• Maternal work outside home in both females and males.
• Marital status of the parents in both females and males.
But no association was found between preterm birth and NNSHs in both females and males.