The association between food insecurity, diet quality, and untreated caries among US children.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the association between food insecurity and untreated caries among US children and the potential role of diet quality as a mediator in this relationship.

Methods: The authors analyzed data for 4,822 children aged 5 through 17 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles from 2011 through 2014. The authors measured food security as household-level food security status (full, marginal, low, very low) and overall food security status (full food secure, food insecure). They measured diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index. The primary outcome measure was untreated caries (none, ≥ 1). The authors used multiple logistic regression analysis to evaluate the relationships among food insecurity, diet quality, and untreated caries. They conducted mediation analysis using the Baron and Kenny approach.

Results: Food-insecure children were more likely to have untreated caries compared with their fully food-secure counterparts, after controlling for confounding variables (odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% [CI, 1.11 to 1.72). Specifically, children from marginal and very low food-secure households had significantly higher odds of untreated caries (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.01) compared with children from fully food-secure households (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.26). Diet quality was not significantly associated with untreated caries.

Conclusions: Food insecurity was negatively associated with untreated caries among US children. Diet quality was not associated with untreated caries.

Practical Implications: Social factors such as food insecurity should be taken into consideration when dental clinicians perform caries risk assessment because caries risk is shown to be associated with overall health and dental health.