Socio-demographic and dietary risk factors of severe early childhood caries
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between socio-demographic and dietary factors
and Severe Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC) experience in children.
METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control analysis to identify S-ECC risk factors in
2 to 6-year-old children, comparing 359 with S-ECC to 421 who had no caries
experience (NCE). Subjects were recruited from pediatric dental clinics at children's
hospitals in Washington D.C. and Columbus and Cincinnati, OH. Information regarding
the children's diet in the preceding 6 months was collected from the parents using the
Block Kids 2-7 Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) 2004. Associations between the
dietary and socio-demographic factors, sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption,
and S-ECC are analyzed by i test, t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and logistic regression analysis using SASĀ® version 9.2.
RESULTS: S-ECC was positively associated with intakes of SSB, sweets, sugared cereal, processed meat, potatoes, eggs, and white bread and negatively associated with cereal without sugar, dark bread, rice, dark green and orange vegetables, citrus fruits, water, and micronutrients such as magnesium and vitamin K. Socio-demographic factors such as
older age, male gender, lower level of parents' education, and lower percentage of family Federal Poverty Level (FPL), were associated with higher likelihood of S-ECC. Children with S-ECC drank more SSB while NCE children drank more water and real fruit juice. Higher SSB consumption was associated with lower FPL and lower level of parents' education but was not significantly associated with BMI.
CONCLUSION: The results ofthis study confirmed that children from financially disadvantaged background suffer from disproportionally higher risk of S-ECC. Furthermore, positive associations between certain food items, such as SSB and sweets, and S-ECC experience were also confirmed. The findings of this study can provide additional evidence towards developing policies for regulating certain foods in American children's meals; thereby contribute to the prevention ofS-ECC.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University
PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.