The correlation between the level of knowledge of reading nutritional labels and oral health

Abstract

Objectives: To establish if the level of knowledge in reading nutritional labels in the Maltese population is correlated to their oral health status. Materials and methods: Subjects attending dental screenings on the Mobile Dental Unit or at the University teaching clinics were recruited. A questionnaire was used to collect general infor-mation, participants’ awareness of WHO sugar guidelines, food preferences, and their level of knowledge in reading nutrition labels. The Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index, International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) and erosion scores were recorded. Results: A total of 122 subjects participated in this research project, of which 62.3% were females. Results showed that 17.2% of the total sample were aware of theWHO guidelines regarding sugar intake; weekly food consumption of the subjects revealed that 70% usually eat vegetables mini-mum 3-5 times a week, 50% fruit and 40% fish; 41.7% of people showed a good level of knowledge in reading nutrition labels. Furthermore, erosion general score was 1.2 ± 3.3. Mean DMFT scored 10.5 ± 7.2 and care index 37.2 ± 30.3%. Higher educational levels were associated with healthier diets. Further within the group 35-65 years, DMFT was significantly lower if the respondent had the ability to read labels. Conclusion: the study showed that there is a low awareness ofWHO daily sugar intake guidelines and a moderate understanding of nutrition labels. Age-related trends, educational background, and knowledge in reading and correctly understanding food nutritional labels was related to improved oral health. It would be beneficial to conduct similar studies that could potentially aid in the de-velopment of educational programs aimed at correctly reading nutrition labels.