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Background <p>Early childhood caries (ECC) is a global public health crisis affecting large populations of children, although the prevalence in suburban Nigeria is low. The role of dietary diversity in this context for ECC prevention remains unexplored. This study aimed to assess the associations between dietary diversity, food groups, and the prevalence and severity of ECC in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.</p> Methods <p>This was a school-based cross-sectional survey of children aged 36–71 months conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, from September 2021 to September 2022, with participants randomly recruited from public and private nursery and primary schools. Information was collected on the independent variables (dietary intake and diversity assessed using a 24-hour recall and food frequency questionnaire), the dependent variables (dmft score), and the confounding variables (oral hygiene status, age, sex, and socio-economic status). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associations between the dependent and independent variables after adjusting for confounders.</p> Results <p>The study recruited 430 children, of whom 61 (14.2%) had ECC and 19 (4.4%) had severe ECC. The mean dmft was 0.42 ± 1.3SD. High dietary consumptions were fats and oils (100%), beverages, spices, and condiments (100%), vegetables (96.3%), cereals (92.8%), and sweets/snacks (92.3%), while low-consumption items were eggs (37.2%), meat (50.5%), fish (54.7%), and dairy products (54.9%). Frequent consumption of fruits was associated with a significantly lower risk of ECC (AOR: 0.484; 95% CI: 0.261–0.900; <i>p</i> = 0.022). No significant associations were found between the overall dietary diversity score and ECC severity.</p> Conclusion <p>Promoting fruit consumption in early childhood diets may have a protective role against ECC and should be integrated into oral health education for parents.</p>

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Dietary diversity and food groups associated with early childhood caries in a suburban community in Nigeria

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月27日

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  • Chinelo Adaeze Okafor,
  • Elizabeth Obhioneh Oziegbe,
  • Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan

摘要

Background

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a global public health crisis affecting large populations of children, although the prevalence in suburban Nigeria is low. The role of dietary diversity in this context for ECC prevention remains unexplored. This study aimed to assess the associations between dietary diversity, food groups, and the prevalence and severity of ECC in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Methods

This was a school-based cross-sectional survey of children aged 36–71 months conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, from September 2021 to September 2022, with participants randomly recruited from public and private nursery and primary schools. Information was collected on the independent variables (dietary intake and diversity assessed using a 24-hour recall and food frequency questionnaire), the dependent variables (dmft score), and the confounding variables (oral hygiene status, age, sex, and socio-economic status). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associations between the dependent and independent variables after adjusting for confounders.

Results

The study recruited 430 children, of whom 61 (14.2%) had ECC and 19 (4.4%) had severe ECC. The mean dmft was 0.42 ± 1.3SD. High dietary consumptions were fats and oils (100%), beverages, spices, and condiments (100%), vegetables (96.3%), cereals (92.8%), and sweets/snacks (92.3%), while low-consumption items were eggs (37.2%), meat (50.5%), fish (54.7%), and dairy products (54.9%). Frequent consumption of fruits was associated with a significantly lower risk of ECC (AOR: 0.484; 95% CI: 0.261–0.900; p = 0.022). No significant associations were found between the overall dietary diversity score and ECC severity.

Conclusion

Promoting fruit consumption in early childhood diets may have a protective role against ECC and should be integrated into oral health education for parents.