IADR Abstract Archives
Exploring the Association between Family Structure and Pediatric Dental Caries
Objectives: Evidence suggests that oral diseases, including dental caries, present major clinical and public health problems including poorer health outcomes and decreased quality of life. Family structure plays a unique role in the susceptibility of pediatric populations to premature oral health-related morbidity. However, research is scarce on the impact of various family structures on oral health-related quality of life in children. The objective of this study is to characterize the relationship between family structure and dental caries in a nationally representative sample of children in the US.
Methods: We analyzed 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health data for children ages 1-17 (n=46,235) and explored data describing children’s family structures (e.g., marital status and number of parents in household). We used a multivariable logistic regression model to examine the relationship between dental caries and family structure, adjusting for numerous sociodemographic and household characteristics.
Results: Family structure was significantly associated with dental caries. Compared to children in households with two biological or adoptive parents (the reference group), past-year caries are more likely in children residing in two-parent households wherein at least one parent is not related to the child biologically or adoptively, children in a household with a single mother who has never been married, or a household that includes a parent but is not a two-parent or single mother household. Conversely, children in households with single mothers who are separated or previously married and children without parents in their households did not differ significantly from the reference group.
Conclusions: Findings from our study indicate that certain alternative family structures contribute to an increased risk for children experiencing dental caries. Children are largely dependent on parents/caregivers for resources, including healthcare, to maintain quality of life. Consequently, risk stratification algorithms to prioritize oral health interventions towards the highest risk children should incorporate family structure information.
Methods: We analyzed 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health data for children ages 1-17 (n=46,235) and explored data describing children’s family structures (e.g., marital status and number of parents in household). We used a multivariable logistic regression model to examine the relationship between dental caries and family structure, adjusting for numerous sociodemographic and household characteristics.
Results: Family structure was significantly associated with dental caries. Compared to children in households with two biological or adoptive parents (the reference group), past-year caries are more likely in children residing in two-parent households wherein at least one parent is not related to the child biologically or adoptively, children in a household with a single mother who has never been married, or a household that includes a parent but is not a two-parent or single mother household. Conversely, children in households with single mothers who are separated or previously married and children without parents in their households did not differ significantly from the reference group.
Conclusions: Findings from our study indicate that certain alternative family structures contribute to an increased risk for children experiencing dental caries. Children are largely dependent on parents/caregivers for resources, including healthcare, to maintain quality of life. Consequently, risk stratification algorithms to prioritize oral health interventions towards the highest risk children should incorporate family structure information.
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