InvestigationNutritionThe association between food insecurity, diet quality, and untreated caries among US children
Section snippets
Methods
We obtained data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles 2011 through 2012 and 2013 through 2014.29 The study population included children aged 5 through 17 years who had complete food security questionnaires, dietary surveys, and dental examinations and had at least 2 teeth.
We controlled for several potential confounding variables, including age (categorized as 5-8 years, 9-11 years, 12-17 years); sex (male, female); race and ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic,
Sample characteristics
The study sample included 4,822 children aged 5 through 17 years (Table 1). One-half of the children were male (50.82%), and more than one-half were White (53.33%). Approximately 83% of the children were living in families with annual family income of $20,000 or higher and a mean (standard deviation [SD]) household size of 4.5 (0.03) people. Approximately two-thirds of the children (66.23%) were living in fully food-secure families, 12.31% had marginal household-level food security (HFS),
Discussion
Earlier evidence revealed that food-insecure children are more likely to experience adverse health effects.7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Given the growing area of research on the impact of food insecurity on chronic diseases and well-being, the relationship between food insecurity and oral health is still far from clear. Our study confirms the association between food insecurity and untreated caries among US children aged 5 through 17 years using a nationally representative sample. We found that diet quality
Conclusions
Children from food-insecure household had a higher prevalence of untreated caries than children from full food-secure households. Diet quality was not associated with untreated caries. Our finding indicates the necessity of improving and expanding national public interventions to alleviate food insecurity and to ensure access to nutritious food for children.
Dr. Bahanan is an assistant professor, Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80209, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
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Food Security Status, WIC Participation, and Early Childhood Caries in a Nationally Representative Sample of Children
2023, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsCitation Excerpt :Considering the lack of interaction of WIC participation and household food security with total caries, findings suggest that child experiences of food insecurity could be a more significant contributor to caries development among WIC-eligible nonparticipants. Previous research has shown that food insecurity increases the risk of untreated caries in US adults and youth,19,20,23 possibly due to unmet dental care needs.15 In younger children, the WIC program may reduce disparities in dental care access by conducting dental screenings and providing referrals for dental care.33,34
Tap Water Avoidance Is Associated with Lower Food Security in the United States: Evidence from NHANES 2005-2018
2023, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsFood insecurity and dental caries prevalence in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
2023, International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
Dr. Bahanan is an assistant professor, Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80209, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Singhal is an assistant professor, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA.
Dr. Zhao is an associate professor, Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies, Department of Applied Psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ.
Ms. Scott is an instructor, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA.
Dr. Kaye is a professor, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA.
Disclosures.The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.