Nutritional Status and Prevalence of Dental Caries among Children aged 3-5 Years attending Outpatients Health Care at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya (2011-2012)

Abstract

Childhood nutrition tops the global agenda for socio economic development and children need healthy teeth to masticate food for their nutritional supply. This study determined the nutritional status, prevalence of dental caries and their relationships among children aged 3-5 years attending outpatient health care at GCH in Nairobi, Kenya during the year 2011-2012. This cross sectional descriptive study sampled 387 children aged 3-5 years, selected by systematic random sampling. Information was obtained from parents/guardians from well socio economic communities using structured questionnaire interviews. Anthropometric indices of weight/age, height/age, weight/height and Mid Upper Arm Circumference, based on World Health Organization, 2006 Z score standards were used to determine the nutritional status of children. Dental caries prevalence was determined as decayed, missing due to caries and filled teeth (dmft) occurrence. The prevalence of caries was 39.5% of which 77.1% had decayed, 9.8% missing and 13.1% filled teeth. Majority (84.5%) of children were within normal nutritional status. The prevalence of underweight was 2.6%, wasting 9.3%, stunting 0.8% and overweight 2.8%. Bivariate analysis showed that wasted children (WHZ< - 2SD) were 5.4 times more likely to have caries than normal children (OR=5.36, 95% CI: 2.34-13.31, p <0.05). Underweight children (WAZ< -2SD) also had significantly higher caries prevalence (OR=6.4, p <0.05) although the prevalence of underweight was small. Stunting and overweight showed no significant association with caries (p >0.05). Significant risk factors for caries were; consumption of cariogenic sticky foods including (OR=3.54, 95% CI: 1.44-9.01, p =0.00), lack of knowledge regarding dentist’s visit by the first birth day (OR= 2.24, 95% CI: 1.32-3.81, p <0.05), time to commence tooth brushing, pain when chewing food (OR=2.19, 95% CI: 1.23-4.96, p =0.04) and not ever visited a dentist (OR=2.59, 95% CI: 1.64-4.08, p <0.05). On multivariate analysis, the variables that had statistically significant association with dental caries when confounders were controlled were wasting and consumption of cariogenic food (2-6 times/week, Once/week) and Sweets/candies (Once/week) with (p≤0.05). This study concluded that the overall nutritional status of the 3-5 years old participants was good. However the prevalence of wasting found was high, comparable to the national level and it was significantly associated with higher prevalence of dental caries than in children who were not wasted. The study recommends sensitization of parents/guardians and health care providers of children on the associations between nutritional status and dental caries and also the risk factors for caries. Further studies are needed to determine causality.