The prevalence of finger sucking habit among preschool children in Kerman, Iran

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of finger sucking habit among three-six-year-old children from kindergartens of Kerman, Iran. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study used census sampling to select 1000 children from 40 kindergartens. Data was collected by a checklist and clinical examination. Chi-square test in SPSS16 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of finger sucking habit was 3.4%. There was no statistically significant relation between gender and the habit. Pacifier sucking habit was not an influencing factor in finger sucking habit. Most children (47.06%) had received exclusive breastfeeding. Anterior open bite was seen in 50.00% of the children with finger sucking habit. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the decreased prevalence of finger sucking habit compared to similar studies. This difference might have been caused by the type of feeding (about 50% of the children in the present study were breast-fed). KEYWORDS: Finger and Thumb Sucking, Prevalence, Oral Habits, Breast-Feedin