Regular-Soda Consumption and Caries among 2-6 Years Old US Children

Objectives: To characterize the distribution of regular-soda consumption among young children and its association with dental caries adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: Data from 7,835 children aged 2-6 years from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and NHANES 1999-2004 were used. Regular-soda consumption was defined, based on one 24-hour dietary recall interview, as consumption (yes/no) and categorized in ounces (oz) as 0 oz, <= oz, and > 6 oz. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between dental caries and regular-soda. Results: Soda consumption was reported by 37.2% of children. Children from poor and near-poor families or families with lower education had higher prevalence of regular-soda consumption than children from non-poor or highly educated families. Prevalence of regular-soda consumption and consumption of 6 oz or more increased with age. Among regular-soda drinkers, 69.1 percent drank six oz or more regardless of socioeconomic classification. Regular-soda drinkers were 1.49 (95% CI 1.26, 1.75) times more likely to present caries than non-drinkers. Children who consumed more than 6 oz of regular-soda were 1.63 (95% CI 1.38, 1.93) times more likely to have caries than children who did not drink regular-soda. These associations remained significant after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics. Drinking 6 oz or less of regular-soda was not associated with caries (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.91, 1.56). Conclusions: More than a third of children 2-6 years of age reported drinking regular- soda. Prevalence and consumption of more than 6 oz of regular-soda were higher among children from low educated or poor families. There was no difference by socioeconomic status in the proportion of children who drank more than 6 oz of regular-soda. Children who reported drinking regular-soda in the previous 24 hours were more likely to present caries than children who did not drink regular-soda.