Maternal education is an independent determinant of cariogenic feeding practices in the first year of life

AIM: To identify risk factors for cariogenic feeding practices in the first year of life. STUDY DESIGN : Cohort study. METHODS : 500 children born within the public health care system in São Leopoldo, Brazil, were recruited in a follow-up program. Anthropometric and demographic data were collected soon after birth; data on feeding practices were assessed at 12 months of age using a standardised questionnaire; clinical examination at 4 years of age allowed identification of cariogenic feeding practices in the first year of life and to quantify their relative risks. In the present study, the attributable risks of each child were summed, and the outcome was assessed for the upper quartile of scores for cariogenic feeding practices. STATISTICS : Adjusted relative risks for the outcome were estimated using robust Poisson regression models. RESULTS : A total of 327 children comprised the final study sample, i.e. were followed from birth to 4 years of age. Multivariate analysis showed that the risk of cariogenic feeding practices doubled in children from mothers with less than 5 years of education (RR 2.19, 95%CI 1.26–3.82) and was 70% higher in children from mothers with 5–8 years of education when compared with maternal education >8 years. The other independent variables were not associated with the outcome. CONCLUSIONS : Low maternal education is a risk factor for cariogenic feeding practices, independently of other factors. Mothers with low educational levels should be the focus of child health promotion interventions, especially those aimed at controlling dental caries.