Maternal allostatic load, caretaking behaviors, and child dental caries experience: A cross-sectional evaluation of linked mother-child data from the third national health and nutrition examination survey

E.E. Masterson and W. Sabbah

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 11, 2306-2311

Abstract: Objectives. We evaluated the associations between chronic maternal stress measured by allostatic load (AL), maternal caretaking behaviors, and child dental caries experience. We also assessed the role of socioeconomic status in these associations. Methods. We used data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). We included children aged 2 to 6 years who linked to a maternal record (n = 716 maternal-child pairs). The main exposure was maternal AL index (0, 1, or ≥ 2). The primary outcome of interest was child dental caries experience (none or any). We evaluated the association between maternal AL and (1) maternal caretaking behaviors, and (2) child caries status and the role of socioeconomic status in these relationships. Results. Children of mothers with an AL index of at least 2 were significantly more likely to have not been breastfed and to have dental caries than were children of mothers with a normal AL before adjusting for measures of socioeconomic status. Conclusions. Maternal chronic stress, indicated by elevation in markers of AL, has an important role in child caretaking behaviors and in children's oral health.

Keywords: biological marker; C reactive protein; glucose blood level; lipid, adult; blood; breast feeding; child; cross-sectional study; dental caries; female; glucose blood level; human; male; maternal behavior; mental stress; mother; mother child relation; nutrition; preschool child; psychology; socioeconomics; statistics and numerical data; waist circumference, Adult; Biomarkers; Blood Glucose; Breast Feeding; C-Reactive Protein; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; Lipids; Male; Maternal Behavior; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Nutrition Surveys; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress, Psychological; Waist Circumference (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2015.302729_9

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302729

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