LATEBREAKER
Oral Health
Association between acculturation and dental caries among Asian children aged 1-17 living in the United States. Rohit Baal Balasundaram* Rohit Baal Balasundaram Rohit Baal Balasundaram Nihmath Nasia Maliq Sarah Al Khatib
Background: Asians living in the US have reported poor oral health and less frequent utilization of dental services than non-Hispanic Whites. Studying the factors affecting the oral health of the increasing Asian population in the US is crucial to addressing these disparities. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between household acculturation and pediatric oral health in the Asian population using a nationally representative sample of children. Methods: Data from the 2021-2022 National Survey for Children’s Health, acculturation levels were determined using primary household language and parental nativity. Low acculturation group consisted of a household where the primary language was not English and at least one parent was foreign-born. The high acculturation group consisted of a household where the primary language was English, and both parents were US-born; those not in these groups were considered moderate. Children’s oral health was evaluated as presence or absence of dental cavities based on parental/guardian report. Logistic regression was used to estimate OR and 95% CI between acculturation and dental caries adjusting for age, sex, federal poverty level, dental visit, household structure, education, special health care needs, no. of children, and insurance. Covariates were determined based on previous literature related to pediatric oral health. The analyses accounted for complex survey design. Results: Analysis included 10369 Asian children. In total, 11.7% experienced dental caries (95% CI:11.2 – 12.1%). Having low acculturation was associated with 2 times the odds of having dental caries compared with high acculturation [aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.5 – 3.0] Conclusion: Children residing in low acculturated households were at greater risk for caries. Linguistically and culturally appropriate public health intervention is needed for better oral health in Asian children in the US.