Associations between Child Snack and Beverage Consumption, Severe Dental Caries, and Malnutrition in Nepal

Abstract

The global nutrition transition and increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed snacks have contributed to increasing rates of child obesity and dental caries in developing countries. In Nepal, where child malnutrition rates are high, the relationship between malnutrition and dental caries is poorly understood. This cross-sectional study aims to assess this relationship among a convenience sample of 273 children age six months to less than 12 years in three communities in Nepal, using parent/caregiver interviews, child dental exams, and anthropometric measurements. Fisher’s exact test and independent t-tests examined associations between dietary practices and severe caries and between severe caries and malnutrition, respectively. Children consumed sugar-sweetened beverages and processed snacks frequently: 80% consumed tea with sugar, 60% consumed sweet snacks, and 65% consumed processed savory snacks daily. Overall, 74% of children had untreated tooth decay, and 21% exhibited stunting malnutrition, 14% were underweight, and 6% presented wasting. Significant associations were found between daily consumption of sweets and processed snacks with severe caries and between severe caries and poorer nutritional status. These findings underscore the need to incorporate nutrition and oral health promotion and dental treatment into maternal–child health services and schools and to strengthen policies to reduce children’s access to junk food.

Bacterial Profile and Risk Factors Associated with Dental Caries in Enugu Metropolis, Southeast Nigeria

“…Many researchers have also reported a significant association between consumption of sweets and processed snacks and caries which agrees with this study. They deduced that frequent consumption of sweets and processed snacks may be hazardous to the oral health of children of all ages and that sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as non-nutritious snacks, may be particularly hazardous to children's oral health in early childhood [31]. Our study also found that respondents with dental aches were 58.7 times likely to have dental caries, This is consistent with works done in Ethiopia [4,32].…”

The Chinese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire among college students: factor structure and measurement invariance across genders

“…College students were in a period of growth and development, and some studies have found that the unhealthy eating habits of college students were more common. For various reasons, they would ignore the quality of breakfast or have irregular meals, insufficient intake of dairy products, excessive intake of high-sugar beverages, often eat Western-style fast food, and snacks that were mostly high-sugar and high-salt foods [24]. Because of these reasons, it was more likely to lead to oral health problems, which in turn affected the quality of life-related to oral health [25,26].…”

A Review on Maternal Parenting, Child's Growth Stunting, and Oral Health

“…2,42 This finding was contrary to the high prevalence of stunting, which can also be found in this review. [21][22][23][24][25][26]30,31,35,40,43 Another optimal breastfeeding in-dicator has its role in linking this phenomenon. Prolonged breastfeeding is a complex behavior that cannot be separated from other aspects such as good frequency, method, and time.…”

“…One article each (n ¼ 1) was from Cambodia, India, and Bangladesh, and two articles each (n ¼ 2) were from Nepal, China, and Vietnam. 7,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Seven (n ¼ 7) studies were from Africa: one each (n ¼ 1) from Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda, and two articles (n ¼ 2) were from Ethiopia. 21,[29][30][31][32][33][34] Five (n ¼ 5) studies were conducted in the American continent: one each ( ¼ 1) in El Salvador and Mexico, and three (n ¼ 3) in Ecuador.…”