Extension educates families on the link between poor diet, dental cavities in young children

Dental decay is the most common chronic condition in children, and those from families with low-income experience poor diet quality and cavities. Families face challenges in promoting healthy diets and dental care to their children due to barriers such as lack of transportation, targeted advertising and limited access to healthy foods.

The University of Connecticut Extension supports the SNAP-Ed nutrition team, Healthy Family Connecticut, which partners with community agencies to reach caregivers of young children for a digital diet and dental health program. Healthy Family Connecticut collaborates with libraries, Head Start programs, family resource centers, WIC, dental offices and related community organizations in Connecticut towns with high rates of SNAP eligibility.

The five-week digital intervention provides tailored diet and dental health messages, a motivational interview with a nutritionist, digital goal reminders and tips, and an optional private Facebook group for social support and reinforcing messages. The first round of the program reached 300-plus families, of which more than 100 completed a motivational interview.

Additionally, the SNAP-Ed team partners with dental students to provide novel, interactive classroom visits to promote toothbrushing, flossing and diets for tooth health. Classroom visits have reached more than 400 children in Connecticut.

Overall, the program has shown improvements in children’s diet quality and dental health behaviors. From baseline to week five, there were significant improvements in frequency- and liking-based diet quality scores. Additionally, a greater percentage of children met brushing (2x/day, 66 to 77%) and flossing recommendations (1x/day, 43 to 67%). Also, caregivers reported high program acceptability and increases in knowledge, motivation and confidence from the program.

The program is now being offered as a randomized controlled trial with longer-term follow-up, building on continued partnerships with families by offering parent workshops, nutrition and dental lessons, and information booths with education and resources.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

Project supported by USDA Capacity – Extension and Smith-Lever (3b&c) funds.