Abstract
The nutrition transition from traditional diets to processed snacks and sugary beverages has contributed to a higher burden of child malnutrition, obesity, and tooth decay. While child health interventions typically promote nutritious eating, they rarely promote oral health. Mothers’ motivations for child nutrition and oral health practices need to be better understood. A convenience sample of 102 mothers in eight rural Salvadoran communities participated in focus groups addressing child nutrition and oral health. Focus groups were transcribed and coded using qualitative content analysis. Primary themes included generational changes in health environments; health knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and access and barriers to health services. Mothers noted general improvements in awareness of oral hygiene but poorer child oral health, which they attributed to widespread sales of unhealthy snacks and beverages near schools. Distance and cost limited families’ access to dental services. Knowledge gaps included the belief that oral iron supplements cause tooth decay, uncertainty regarding when to start tooth brushing, and until when parents should help children brush. Maternal-child health programs should emphasize the adverse health consequences of feeding young children processed snacks and sugary drinks, and promote dental care access and regulations to ensure health-promoting environments surrounding schools.
Highlights
Over recent decades, global increases in urbanization, trade liberalization, and food marketing have driven a nutrition transition from traditional, whole-food diets to foods and beverages that are highly-processed and high in sugar, fat, and salt [1,2]
Knowledge gaps included the belief that oral iron supplements cause tooth decay, uncertainty regarding when to start tooth brushing, and until when parents should help children brush
Global increases in urbanization, trade liberalization, and food marketing have driven a nutrition transition from traditional, whole-food diets to foods and beverages that are highly-processed and high in sugar, fat, and salt [1,2]
Summary
Global increases in urbanization, trade liberalization, and food marketing have driven a nutrition transition from traditional, whole-food diets to foods and beverages that are highly-processed and high in sugar, fat, and salt [1,2]. The nutrition transition has had a disproportionately adverse impact on low-income communities in high-income countries and all populations in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to a double burden of malnutrition and obesity [1]. Latin America has experienced increases in dietary fat and sugar consumption, and corresponding decreases in fruit and vegetable consumption [3]. Research on the nutrition transition has emerged from some countries in Latin America, and other countries remain less-studied [6,7,8]. While investments in economic development, education, and maternal-child health programs have led to substantial reductions in rates of child malnutrition in many
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