The relationship between childhood weight, dental caries and eating practices in children aged 4-8 years in Australia, 2004-2008.
OBJECTIVE
The association between overweight/obesity and dental caries in children is contentious with studies variously reporting positive or negative associations between the two conditions. Since 1995, Australia has experienced a rise in the prevalence of both conditions in its children. This study investigated the association between child weight, diet and dental problems in a nationally representative sample.


METHODS
Data from 4149 children (51.5% male) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) were used. The LSAC is a longitudinal study collecting data from a large representative cohort of Australian children; data from the first three waves were included with children aged 4-5 years, 6-7 years, and 8-9 years. Multivariate cross-sectional and prospective analyses were conducted to determine the relationships between child weight, diet and dental problems.


RESULTS
Overweight/obesity was associated with sweet drink consumption and dental problems associated with consumption of fatty foods and sweet drinks. Underweight was associated with dental problems cross-sectionally, but both underweight and overweight at age 6-7 years predicted dental problems at age 8-9 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Dental caries and body weight are influenced by diet. Overweight children may be consuming less fatty food but appear to be consuming more sweet drinks than normal-weight children, which can lead to both increased weight and dental caries. Dietary interventions designed to reduce the development of dental caries may also reduce the development and maintenance of overweight.
School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia. merrilyn.hooley@deakin.edu.au
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Hooley
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Skouteris
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Millar
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001628:Beverages; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats