No abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of dental caries, dietary composition and whole salivary flow rates together with some of the components of saliva between two groups of children aged 12-16 years, one group from an urban area and the other from a rural area of Thailand. A stratified random samples were taken by class from one schools in each area. The children who had mixed dentition and/or who had migrated from other area of Bangkok and 138 students were selected from a school in a rural area of Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand. Results of completed 24-hour dietary recalls for three consecutive days examining the average nutrient intake were compared looking for differences, if any, between these two groups of children. Dental examinations and whole salivary sampling were also undertaken and possible relationships between some nutrients and certain salivary factors were explored. The prevalence of dental caries was found to be higher in the students living in the urban area. The children in the rural area consumed a higher load of carbohydrate, which came mainly from sticky rice. There was no difference in the protein consumption between the two groups, although the children in the rural area consumed more protein from vegetable sources. The salivary flow rate and the concentrations of fluoride, calcium and phosphate were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the group from the rural area, while the salivary pH, buffer capacity, concentrations of total protein and urea were higher in the urban area. There was no correlation between nutrient intake and salivary composition in the children from these two areas, which may suggest that dietary nutrients may not have a direct effect on salivary compositions, but it was noted that salivary flow rate correlated with salivary urea, albumin and buffer capacity in both areas.

The aim of this research is to compare the physical status, basal metabolism and some other physiological characteristics between native Thai in Bangkok, Thailand, and native Japanese in Japan, and discuss the results regarding acclimatization to tropical climate. Measurements of the Thai were made in September in Bangkok, while those of native Japanese were done in August at Nishinomiya(Japan). The subjects were adult males(20-22 years old)in both cases. Physically the Thai are generally a little shorter and more slender than Japanese in the mean value. The mean skinfold thickness for Thai was 8. 4mm, which is significantly less than that of Japanese(11. 0mm). The mean oral temperature measured under basal conditions was the same between both subject groups. The Thai showed a slightly lower basal metabolism per unit body surface, and mean skin temperature measured in a similar environmental condition was lower for Thai than for Japanese. The results of anthropometric measurements and physiological characteristics measured were discussed in view of physiology of acclimatization to tropical climate.It is well known that body shape, body size, deposition of fat and body fluids and basal metabolism of man change according to climate (LEwis et al. , 1960;YOSHIMURA, 1958;OGATA and SASAKI, 1975). The ratio of body surface area to body mass is related to body shape. Heat dissipation increases as the body surface area becomes larger and the heat produced metabolically in the body may be more Received for publication May 13, 1977 S.HORI et al.

No abstract