Dietary pattern of Finnish children with low and high caries experience

Abstract

The correlations between dietary patterns and caries were studied in a series consisting of 534, 5-, 9- and 13-yr-old, Finnish rural children from low F- areas (0.10-0.46 ppm). The food consumption of the children was assessed by the 24 h recall method. The consumption of sweets was estimated by the dietary history method. Caries was diagnosed by clinical inspection. Children with a low and children with a high caries experience were compared with regard to food and nutrient intakes per 1000 kcal. The intakes of most foods and nutrients were similar in the low caries and in the high caries groups. However, the diet of the high caries groups of 5- and 13-yr-olds contained less Fe, thiamine and ascorbic acid than the diet of the low caries groups. The intake of sugar and sugar containing products per unit of energy was higher in the high caries groups. This was particularly true for soft drinks. Among the 9-yr-olds the proportion of sugar consumed was greater in the high caries than in the low caries children. With regard to the total monthly consumption of sweets no significant differences were observed between the high and low caries groups. Analysis of the energy standardized consumption of food and nutrients showed that the relative proportion of sugar and sugar-containing products was somewhat greater in the diet of the high caries children than in the diet of the low caries children, but not as high as could be expected. These products replaced foods with a higher nutritive value with the result that the diet of the high caries groups was on the whole more refined than the diet of the low caries groups.