• Donald L Chi, Erin E Masterson, Adam C Carle, Lloyd A Mancl, and Susan E Coldwell.
• Donald L. Chi, Erin E. Masterson, Lloyd A. Mancl, and Susan E. Coldwell are with the Department of Oral Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle. Adam C. Carle is with the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, and the Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
• Am J Public Health. 2014 May 1; 104 (5): 860-4.

ObjectivesWe examined associations of household socioeconomic status (SES) and food security with children's oral health outcomes.MethodsWe analyzed 2007 and 2008 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for children aged 5 to 17 years (n = 2206) to examine the relationship between food security and untreated dental caries and to assess whether food security mediates the SES-caries relationship.ResultsAbout 20.1% of children had untreated caries. Most households had full food security (62%); 13% had marginal, 17% had low, and 8% had very low food security. Higher SES was associated with significantly lower caries prevalence (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval = 0.63, 0.94; P = .01). Children from households with low or very low food security had significantly higher caries prevalence (PR = 2.00 and PR = 1.70, respectively) than did children living in fully food-secure households. Caries prevalence did not differ among children from fully and marginally food-secure households (P = .17). Food insecurity did not appear to mediate the SES-caries relationship.ConclusionsInterventions and policies to ensure food security may help address the US pediatric caries epidemic.

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