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DIETARY PATTERNS AND DENTAL CARIES IN NURSERY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NAIROBI, KENYA
Abstract
Objective: To determine the dietary patterns and the prevalence of dental caries among
nursery school children in Nairobi.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting: Nursery schools in Nairobi, Kenya.
Subjects: Three hundred and four nursery school-children ( 149 males and 155 females) aged
3-5 years were assessed in 1997.
Results: There was a high consumption of fruits. vegetables and milk on a daily basis. There
wasalsoa high consumption of snacks both at home and atsvhool. About 96% of the children
had been breastfed, while 41 % had been bottle-fed. The pre valence of dental caries was high
at 63.5% and a mean decayed, missing and filled teeth ir dex (dmft) of 2.95, with the dcomponent
comprising 96% of the total dmft. Only 1.3% of the children had filled teeth.
Increasing age was the most predictive factor in dental caries.
Conclusion: The high consumption of refined foods and snac ks, as well as the high prevalence
of dental caries raises a strong public health concern. I1 is recommended that dietary
counselling and preventive oral health programmes shou d be initiated and the already
existing ones strengthened and incorporated in primary healthcare programmes. There is
also need for policy makers to come up with guidelines on advertisements promoting
cariogenic snacks.
nursery school children in Nairobi.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting: Nursery schools in Nairobi, Kenya.
Subjects: Three hundred and four nursery school-children ( 149 males and 155 females) aged
3-5 years were assessed in 1997.
Results: There was a high consumption of fruits. vegetables and milk on a daily basis. There
wasalsoa high consumption of snacks both at home and atsvhool. About 96% of the children
had been breastfed, while 41 % had been bottle-fed. The pre valence of dental caries was high
at 63.5% and a mean decayed, missing and filled teeth ir dex (dmft) of 2.95, with the dcomponent
comprising 96% of the total dmft. Only 1.3% of the children had filled teeth.
Increasing age was the most predictive factor in dental caries.
Conclusion: The high consumption of refined foods and snac ks, as well as the high prevalence
of dental caries raises a strong public health concern. I1 is recommended that dietary
counselling and preventive oral health programmes shou d be initiated and the already
existing ones strengthened and incorporated in primary healthcare programmes. There is
also need for policy makers to come up with guidelines on advertisements promoting
cariogenic snacks.
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