title: The influence of social status on pre-school children's eating habits, caries experience and caries prevention behavior.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in a county in Northern Hesse and to correlate this parameter to various independent variables. Additionally to investigate the relationship between preventive measures and the socioeconomic status (SES).
  
  
  METHODS
  In spring 2006, 1,082 preschool children were examined. According to WHO-criteria d(3+4)mft scores were recorded. Information about eating habits and preventive measures were collected by structured questionnaires. To compare the mean caries scores and preventive measures of various subgroups, non-parametric tests were performed. Variables associated with caries were included in a binary stepwise backward logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean d(3+4)mft score amounted to 1.88. Children with high SES had significantly less caries than children with low SES. Significant positive and negative associations of feeding practices and preventive measures to d(3+4)mft scores were observed. Differences between feeding practices and preventive measures were dependent on SES.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term use of baby bottles at night is the most important factor of ECC. Differences in feeding practices and preventive measures in the various SES groups are evident but not that significant as supposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Community Dentistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany. pieper@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dressler
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinzel-Gutenbrunner
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neuhäuser
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krecker
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wunderlich
authors.forename: Anahita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jablonski-Momeni
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires