An ecological study of the association between environmental indicators and early childhood caries
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Folayan M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7542688 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Background: Environmental issues lead to serious health problems in young growing children. This study aims to determine the association between a country's level of environmental health, ecosystem vitality, and prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC). Methods: This was an ecological study. The data for the explanatory variables-country-level environmental performance index (EPI), environmental health, and ecosystem vitality-were obtained from the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. The outcome variables were country-level prevalence of ECC in 0- to 2-year-old and 3- to 5-year-old children. The country EPI, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality were matched with country ECC prevalence for 0- to 2-year-olds and 3- to 5-year-olds for the period of 2007 to 2017. Differences in the variables by country income level were determined using ANOVA. Multivariate ANOVA was used to determine the association between ECC prevalence in 0- to 2-year-olds and 3- to 5-year-olds, and EPI, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality, adjusting for each country's per-capita gross national income. Results: Thirty-seven countries had complete data on ECC in 0- to 2-year-old and 3- to 5-year-old children, EPI, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality scores. There were significant differences in ECC prevalence of 0- to 2-year-olds and 3- to 5-year-olds between countries with different income levels. Also, there were significant differences in EPI (P < 0.0001), environmental health score (P < 0.0001), and ecosystem vitality (P = 0.01) score by country income levels. High-income countries had significantly higher EPI scores than did low-income countries (P = 0.001), lower-middle-income countries (P < 0.0001), and upper-middle-income countries (P < 0.0001). There was an inverse non-significant relationship between ECC prevalence and EPI in 0- to 2-year-olds (B = -0.06; P = 0.84) and 3- to 5-year-olds (B = -0.30; P = 0.50), and ecosystem vitality in 0- to 2-year-olds (B = -0.55, P = 0.08) and 3- to 5-year-olds (B = -0.96; P = 0.02). Environmental health was directly and non-significantly associated with ECC in 0- to 2-year-olds (B = 0.20; P = 0.23) and 3- to 5-year-olds (B = 0.22; P = 0.32). Conclusions: There was a complex relationship between various indicators of environmental performance and ECC prevalence. The association with EPI and ecosystem vitality was inverse whereas the association with environmental health was direct. Only the inverse association with ecosystem vitality in 3-5 year old children was significant. There may be higher risk of ECC with greater economic development, industrialization, and urbanization, while better ecosystem vitality may offer protection against ECC through the rational use of resources, healthy life choices, and preventive health practices.
| S-EPMC7248316 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Genome-Wide Association Study of Early Childhood Caries: CIDR
| PRJNA671298 | ENA
Project description:Genome-Wide Association Study of Early Childhood Caries: CIDR
| PRJNA671299 | ENA
Project description:BACKGROUND:The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between early childhood caries (ECC) in 3-5-year-old children, seven indicators of poverty and the indicator of monetary poverty in low- and middle-income countries (LICs, MICs). METHODS:This ecologic study utilized 2007 to 2017 country-level data for LICs and MICs. Explanatory variables were seven indicators of poverty namely food, water, sanitation, health, shelter, access to information, education; and monetary poverty. The outcome variable was the percentage of 3-5-year-old children with ECC. A series of univariate general linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between the percentage of 3-5?year-old children with ECC and each of the seven indicators of poverty, and monetary poverty. This was followed by multivariable regression models to determined the combined effect of the seven indicators of poverty, as well as the combined effect of the seven indicators of poverty and monetary poverty. Adjusted R2 measured models' ability to explain the variation among LICs and MICs in the percentage of 3-5-year-old children with ECC. RESULTS:Significantly more people had food, sanitation, shelter, access to information, education and monetary poverty in LICs than in MICs. There was no difference in the prevalence of ECC in 3-5-year-old children between LICs and MICs. The combination of the seven indicators of poverty explained 15% of the variation in the percentage of 3-5-year-old children with ECC compared to 1% explained by monetary poverty. When the seven indicators of poverty and the indicator for monetary poverty were combined, the amount of variation explained by them was 10%. Only two of the poverty indicators had a direct relationship with the percentage of children with ECC; there was a higher percentage of ECC in countries with higher percentage of population living in slums (B?=?0.35) and in those countries with higher percentage of the population living below poverty lines (B?=?0.19). The other indicators had an inverse relationship. CONCLUSION:The use of multiple indicators to measures of poverty explained greater amount of variation in the percentage of 3-5-year-olds with ECC in LICs and MICs than using only the indicator for monetary poverty.
| S-EPMC6945445 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:To determine the association between malnutrition and early childhood caries (ECC) in children resident in sub-urban, Nigeria. METHODS:This study was a subset of a larger cross-sectional study the data of which was generated through a household survey conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The study's explanatory variable was malnutrition (underweight, overweight, wasting and stunting) and the outcome variable was ECC. Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the association between ECC and malnutrition. Variables (sex, frequency of sugar consumption, maternal knowledge of oral hygiene, oral hygiene status) associated with ECC in the primary study were adjusted for to obtain the adjusted prevalence ratio (APR). RESULTS:Of the 370 children, 20 (5.41%) were underweight, 20 (5.41%) were overweight, 67 (18.11%) were wasting, 120 (32.43%) were stunted and 18 (4.86%) had ECC. Factors associated with ECC were being stunted, underweight, overweight and fair oral hygiene. The prevalence of ECC was lower in children who were stunted (APR: 0.14; 95% CI: 0.03-0.69; p?=?0.02), almost seven times higher in children who were overweight (APR: 6.88; 95% CI: 1.83-25.85; p?<?0.001), and predictively absent in children who were underweight (APR: 0; 95% CI: 0-0; p?<?0.001) when compared with children who had normal weight. Non-significant risk indicators for ECC included consuming sugar between meals three times a day or more, having low socioeconomic status and being female. CONCLUSIONS:For this study population, the indicators of malnutrition - being stunted, underweight, overweight - and fair oral hygiene were risk indicators for ECC. The frequency of sugar consumption was not a significant risk indicator when malnutrition was included as an explanatory variable for ECC in the study population.
| S-EPMC6852898 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundEarly childhood caries (ECC) is a common disorder characterized by the presence of one or more decayed (non-cavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries), or filled tooth surfaces of primary teeth in children 71 months old or younger. South Africa has a diverse population in terms of culture, education, income, and occupation. This diversity is due to the consequences of historical racial discrimination, poverty, unemployment, lack of accessibility to health services, and quality of education. These factors make South Africa unique, and the disease and risk profiles for this country differ from those of other countries at similar stages of development. For these reasons, it is important to identify the unique maternal and infant risk factors for ECC in the South African context.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to determine the risk factors associated with the incidence and prevalence of ECC in South Africa in children under the age of 6 years.MethodsAll cross-sectional and cohort studies documenting risk factors associated with the prevalence and incidence of dental disease and severity (decayed, missing, and filled scores) will be included. We will search 7 databases for eligible studies, and those included will be based on prespecified inclusion criteria. Only studies conducted with South African children who are aged 6 years and younger in which dental caries risk factors are documented will be included. There is no restriction on the time or language of publication. Included articles will be scrutinized for quality by using a risk of bias tool developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The results will be presented narratively, and if possible, a meta-analysis will be performed.ResultsThe literature search was conducted in November 2020.ConclusionsThe results of this study will provide a framework to inform medical and dental personnel to highlight mothers and infants at risk of developing ECC.Trial registrationPROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020216455; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=216455.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/26701.
| S-EPMC8386354 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Comparative analysis of Severe Early Childhood Caries microbiome
| PRJNA454811 | ENA
Project description:BACKGROUND:Previous studies have reported an inverse association between vitamin D and childhood dental caries, but whether this is causal is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To determine the causal effect of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration on dental caries experience, early caries onset and the requirement for a dental general anesthetic. DESIGN:A Mendelian randomization study was undertaken, using genetic variants known to be associated with circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in 5,545 European origin children from the South West of England. Data on caries and related characteristics were obtained from parental and child completed questionnaires between 38 and 91 months and clinical assessments in a random 10% sample at 31, 44 and 61 months. RESULTS:In multivariable confounder adjusted analyses no strong evidence for an association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with caries experience or severity was found but there was evidence for an association with early caries onset, or having a general anesthetic for dental problems. In Mendelian randomization analysis the odds ratio for caries experience per 10 nmol/L increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.83, 1.05; P = 0.26) and the odds ratio for dental general anaesthetic per 10 nmol/L increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.75, 1.22; P = 0.72). CONCLUSIONS:This Mendelian randomization study provides little evidence to support an inverse causal effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin D on dental caries. However, the estimates are imprecise and a larger study is required to refine these analyses.
| S-EPMC4686942 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundEarly childhood caries is a multifactorial disease involving interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and gene-environment interactions on the etiology of, and susceptibility to, caries in Chinese children aged 3-5 years.MethodsChildren (n = 549) were divided into three groups according to caries risk: high (decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft) index > 4; n = 148), moderate (dmft = 1-4; n = 156), and caries-free (n = 245). A questionnaire was designed to collect demographic information, dietary habits, and oral hygiene practices, and dental plaque samples were collected to test acidogenic activity of bacteria. Genomic DNA was extracted from the buccal mucosa, and the VDR polymorphisms rs7975232, rs1544410, rs11568820, rs10735810, and rs731236 were genotyped using TaqMan assays.ResultsThere were no differences among the caries risk groups in frequencies of the rs7975232, rs731236, rs1544410, or rs11568820 polymorphisms (χ 2 test, P > 0.05); however, the frequency of the rs10735810 CC genotype was clearly higher in the high caries risk group than in the control and moderate caries risk groups (39.2%, 25.6%, and 30.6%, respectively; χ 2 test, P=0.028). In multivariate analysis of genotypes and behavioral factors, rs7975232, rs731236, rs1544410, rs11568820, and rs10735810 were not associated with deciduous tooth decay (χ 2 test, P > 0.05).ConclusionWe conclude that these VDR polymorphisms cannot be used as markers for identification of Chinese children at increased risk of dental caries, when combined with environmental factors. Future studies are needed to replicate these initial findings and better assess the risk of caries in deciduous teeth.
| S-EPMC6935786 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVES:Various maternal mental disorders and socioeconomic status [SES] are discussed as risk factors for early childhood caries [ECC]. In our study, we examined a wide range of symptoms of mental disorders with the aim to identify those maternal psychopathological symptom burdens [PSBs] which show relevant associations with ECC. Our second objective was to investigate how SES affects the associations between PSB and ECC. METHODS:In this study, sixty children with ECC (caries group [CG]) and sixty caries-free children [NON-CG] with their mothers were recruited at two sites in Germany. Children aged three or four years were included in the study. Children's dental status [dmf-t] and plaque index were recorded, and mothers answered a multidimensional SES index (including education, profession and income) as well as screening questionnaires capturing dental anxiety, depressive disorders, generalized anxiety, somatic symptom burden, eating disorders, traumatic childhood experiences, nicotine dependency and alcohol dependency. RESULTS:Mothers of the CG reported significantly higher dental anxiety (dCohen = 0.66), childhood trauma (dCohen = 0.53) and nicotine dependency (dCohen = 0.64) than the NON-CG. However, mediator analyses showed that these effects were partly mediated by the SES. Mothers of the CG had a significantly lower SES (dCohen = 0.93); with education as strongest predictor of dental status. The groups did not differ significantly in symptoms of depressiveness, subjective somatic symptom burden, alcohol dependency, eating disorders, and generalized anxiety. CONCLUSIONS:Several PSBs are associated with ECC, however the SES as the strongest influencing factor mediates this association. Difficult socioeconomic conditions might predispose for both, ECC and mental illness. Targeted strategies are needed to facilitate the use of preventive measures and dental health services especially in families of lower status. For this purpose, psychosocial risk constellations must be identified. More integrative, multifactorial oriented research is necessary to gain a bio-psycho-social understanding of ECC.
| S-EPMC6816547 | biostudies-literature