Diet and feeding patterns in high risk pre-school children

A survey of 60 pre-school children both from Anglo-Saxon and Lebanese backgrounds collected detailed information on subjects' oral health status and dietary and feeding habits. Lebanese subjects had significantly higher caries experience (mean dmfs = 4.88) than Anglo-Saxon subjects (mean dmfs = 0.56). Subjects from the different backgrounds varied significantly also in the frequency of exposure to cariogenic agents and health practices. In each situation Lebanese children were exposed to higher risk factors than Anglo-Saxon children. Notwithstanding the association between variables, the best single predictor of variance in caries experience of subjects, explaining 23 per cent of the variance of dmfs, was the mother's level of education. Culturally relevant health education programmes need to address the specific requirements of high risk groups.