Association between child caries and maternal health-related behaviours.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between 2-6 year-olds' caries experience and selected maternal oral and general health-related behaviours in an American sample.

METHODS: Data pertaining to 917 child/mother pairs was from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988-1994. Child caries experience was indicated by the presence of one or more decayed or filled tooth. Data on maternal smoking, frequency of dental visits, consumption of unhealthy food and oral hygiene was linked to children data using the natality file. An aggregate behavioural variable was created. Logistic Regression models were used to assess the association between child caries experience and maternal behaviours adjusting for child's age, gender, ethnicity, dental visits and mother's age, education and poverty-income ratio.

RESULTS: All four maternal behaviours were significantly associated with child caries in fully adjusted models with odds ratios 1.42 (95% CI: 1.01,2.01) for current smokers versus non-smokers, 1.01 (95% CI: 1.01,1.02) for frequent consumption of unhealthy food, 1.63 (95% CI: 1.15,2.31) for infrequent dental visits, and 2.49 (95% CI: 1.44,4.29) for poor oral hygiene.

CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that children's caries experience is related to a number of maternal behaviours including behaviours not directly related to caries such as smoking. Maternal oral and general health-related behaviours should be incorporated in children's caries risk assessment and in behaviour changing interventions provided in dental practice to improve children's oral health.