Oral Health Problems among Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in the United States

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Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
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Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults

Published on: February 2, 2020

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Zenab I Yusuf1, Deepa Dongarwar2, Rafeek A Yusuf3

  • 1Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Houston VA Health Services Research and Development Service Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA; and VA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Houston, TX, USA.

International Journal of MCH and AIDS
|March 4, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) face a significantly higher risk of poor oral health problems (OHP). Protective factors include higher income, private insurance, and educated household adults.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Public Health
  • Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Background:

  • Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) experience disproportionately high rates of poor oral health problems (OHP).
  • OHP in this population can lead to severe, adverse health outcomes, highlighting a critical public health concern.
  • Understanding the factors associated with OHP in children with NDD is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) and the prevalence of poor oral health problems (OHP) in US children.
  • To identify demographic and socioeconomic factors that may influence the risk of OHP in children with NDD.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the 2016-17 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) for children aged 3-17 years in the United States.
  • Employed statistical analysis to compare the prevalence of OHP between children with and without NDD.
  • Identified protective factors against OHP, including socioeconomic status, insurance coverage, and parental education.

Main Results:

  • The overall prevalence of poor oral health problems (OHP) was 19.1% among the surveyed children.
  • Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) exhibited a 40% greater likelihood of experiencing OHP compared to their peers without NDD (p <0.0001).
  • Factors such as living at or above 200%-300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), private insurance, and having a college-educated adult in the household were associated with reduced OHP risk.

Conclusions:

  • Neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) are significantly associated with an increased risk of poor oral health problems (OHP) in children.
  • Socioeconomic factors, including income, insurance status, and parental education, play a vital role in mitigating OHP risk.
  • Targeted oral health interventions and support systems are essential for children with NDD to improve health outcomes.

Keywords:
ChildrenNeurodevelopmental disorderOral health problemsUnited States

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