Frequent Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption, Dental Caries, and the Federal Poverty Level in Children 1-18 Years, NHANES 2015-2020

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Public Health Nutrition
• Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

• Dental caries remains a significant public health issue in U.S. children.
• Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is a known risk factor for dental caries.
• The role of socioeconomic factors, such as family income, in this relationship requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether family income modifies the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and untreated dental caries in U.S. children.
• To analyze the impact of different income-to-poverty ratios on the relationship between SSB intake and dental caries.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2015-2020 data from 6212 U.S. children (ages 1-17).
• SSB consumption categorized (0, 1, ≥2 servings) using the What We Eat in America interview.
• Dental caries assessed by CDC dental examiners; family income categorized by poverty index (<200%, ≥200% to <400%, ≥400%).
• Chi-square and logistic regression analyses performed.

Main Results:

• 11.6% of children had dental caries; 46.7% had low income.
• Among children with moderate family income, ≥2 SSB servings daily was associated with significantly higher odds of dental caries (adjusted OR: 2.61).
• This association was not significant for children with low or high family income.

Conclusions:

• Family income acts as a significant modifier in the relationship between SSB consumption and dental caries among U.S. children.
• The findings underscore the complex interplay between dietary habits, socioeconomic status, and oral health outcomes in pediatric populations.
• Targeted public health interventions may need to consider income-level disparities when addressing SSB consumption and dental caries prevention.