Childhood obesity and dental caries in homeless children

Striving for Structure and Stability in Cincinnati's Family Homeless Shelters: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach

Experiencing homelessness negatively impacts child health, development, and emotional-behavioral functioning, but there is limited knowledge regarding specific service priorities, as articulated by families themselves, to prevent or address these adverse sequelae. Thus, to elicit the service needs perspective of families in shelter and to translate these findings into real-world action, we undertook a community-based participatory research effort using Group-Level Assessment, a focus group methodology. An action-based participatory needs assessment called a Group-Level Assessment (GLA) was conducted in collaboration with parents currently experiencing homelessness. A total of 53 parents from 3 Cincinnati homeless shelters participated by responding to 17 to 20 open-ended prompts regarding their child's medical, developmental, learning, social, and behavioral needs. Using GLA methodology, we found that the needs expressed by families residing in shelters coalesced around the following themes: job and housing stability, education and skill development, emotional support, and improving shelter life. The GLA findings were then shared with shelter and community leaders, leading to a number of policy and practice enhancements in the shelters. This study demonstrates the power of the GLA approach to affect community action as a direct result of priorities generated by families experiencing homelessness.

Physical illnesses associated with childhood homelessness: a literature review

BACKGROUND

Childhood homelessness is a growing concern in Ireland [1] creating a paediatric subpopulation at increased risk of physical illnesses, many with life-long consequences [2].

AIM

Our aim was to identify and categorize the physical morbidities prevalent in homeless children.

METHODS

A review of the English-language literature on physical morbidities affecting homeless children (defined as ≤ 18 years of age) published from 1999 to 2019 was conducted.

RESULTS

Respiratory issues were the most commonly cited illnesses affecting homeless children, including asthma, upper respiratory tract infections, and chronic cough [3]. Homeless children were described as being at increased risk for contracting infectious diseases, with many studies placing emphasis on the risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS transmission [4, 5]. Dermatologic concerns for this population comprised of scabies and head lice infestation, dermatitis, and abrasions [3, 6]. Malnutrition manifested as a range of physical morbidities, including childhood obesity [7], iron deficiency anemia [4], and stunted growth [8]. Studies demonstrated a higher prevalence of poor dental [7] and ocular health [9] in this population as well. Many articles also commented on the risk factors predisposing homeless children to these physical health concerns, which can broadly be categorized as limited access to health care, poor living conditions, and lack of education [3, 10].

CONCLUSION

This literature review summarized the physical illnesses prevalent among homeless children and the contributing factors leading to them. Gaps in the literature were also identified and included a dearth of studies focusing on younger children compared with adolescents. Further research into prevention and intervention programs for this vulnerable population is urgently needed.

Advancing Oral Health Equity Through School-Based Oral Health Programs: An Ecological Model and Review

In the United States and elsewhere, children are more likely to have poor oral health if they are homeless, poor, and/or members of racial/ethnic minority and immigrant populations who have suboptimal access to oral health care. As a result, poor oral health serves as the primary marker of social inequality. Here, the authors posit that school-based oral health programs that aim to purposefully address determinants of health care access, health and well-being, and skills-based health education across multiple levels of influence (individual/population, interpersonal, community, and societal/policy) may be more effective in achieving oral health equity than programs that solely target a single outcome (screening, education) or operate only on the individual level. An ecological model is derived from previously published multilevel frameworks and the World Health Organization (WHO) concept of a health-promoting school. The extant literature is then examined for examples of evaluated school-based oral health programs, their locations and outcomes(s)/determinant(s) of interest, the levels of influence they target, and their effectiveness and equity attributes. The authors view school-based oral health programs as vehicles for advancing oral health equity, since vulnerable children often lack access to any preventive or treatment services absent on-site care provision at schools. At the same time, they are incapable of achieving sustainable results without attention to multiple levels of influence. Policy solutions that improve the nutritional quality of children's diets in schools and neighborhoods and engage alternative providers at all levels of influence may be both effective and equitable.

[Relation between body mass index and dental caries among adolescents]

BACKGROUND

Obesity and dental caries are both multifactorial diseases. Their prevalence is increasing among infants and adolescents. Research results on the association between dental caries and obesity are contradictory and the nature of factors involved remains unclear. The aims were to review and summarize the type of the relation between dental caries and obesity among infants and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years old and to identify factors contributing to the clarification of the relationship.

METHOD

Research of literature was undertaken on electronically databases Scholar Google, Medline, completed by manual searches from reference lists of studies. Review was based on cross sectional studies published between 2010 and 2015.

RESULTS

The results showed that dental caries were associated with high and low body mass index. In addition to the socio-economic, environmental, behavioural, lifestyle factors, the review identified that the choice of instruments used to diagnose the dental caries and the obesity had impact on the results.

CONCLUSION

The present review has identified the impact of the indicators used for measuring obesity and dental caries other than the standard BMI or DMFT respectively. Future research should test if their use will change the conclusions on the association between obesity and dental caries.

Social Problems: A Cost-Effective Psychosocial Prevention Paradigm

This introductory chapter provides a discussion about the need for prevention. As justification for prevention, the chapter highlights the costs of social problems discussed in the book, including academic problems, violence in schools, child maltreatment, HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse.

Homelessness and Emergency Medicine: A Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the demographics, prevalence, clinical characteristics, and evidence-based management of homeless persons in the emergency department (ED). Where appropriate, we highlight knowledge gaps and suggest directions for future research.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search following databases: PubMed, Ovid, and Google Scholar for articles published between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2016. We supplemented this search by cross-referencing bibliographies of the retrieved publications. Peer-reviewed studies written in English and conducted in the United States that examined homelessness within the ED setting were included. We used a qualitative approach to synthesize the existing literature.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Based on our study objectives and the available literature, we grouped articles examining homeless populations in the ED into four broad categories: 1) prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of homeless ED visits, 2) ED utilization by homeless adults, 3) clinical characteristics of homeless ED visits, and 4) medical education and evidence-based management of homeless ED patients.

CONCLUSION

Homelessness may be underrecognized in the ED setting. Homeless ED patients have distinct care needs and patterns of ED utilization that are unmet by the current disease-oriented and episodic models of emergency medicine. More research is needed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of homelessness in the ED and to develop evidence-based treatment strategies in caring for this vulnerable population.

Common dental diseases in children and malocclusion

Malocclusion is a worldwide dental problem that influences the affected individuals to varying degrees. Many factors contribute to the anomaly in dentition, including hereditary and environmental aspects. Dental caries, pulpal and periapical lesions, dental trauma, abnormality of development, and oral habits are most common dental diseases in children that strongly relate to malocclusion. Management of oral health in the early childhood stage is carried out in clinic work of pediatric dentistry to minimize the unwanted effect of these diseases on dentition. This article highlights these diseases and their impacts on malocclusion in sequence. Prevention, treatment, and management of these conditions are also illustrated in order to achieve successful oral health for children and adolescents, even for their adult stage.

Quality Health Care for Homeless Children: Achieving the AAP Recommendations for Care of Homeless Children and Youth

BACKGROUND

We assessed whether and how health care organizations serving homeless pediatric patients meet recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

METHODS

We conducted a web-based survey of Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program grantees serving children.

RESULTS

Of 169 grantees, 77 (46%) responded. All organizations reported connecting patients to specialty services. Nearly all reported screening for homelessness (90%), facilitating Medicaid enrollment (90%), connecting patients to benefits (94%), addressing underlying causes of homelessness (83%), assisting with transportation (83%), and knowing about the causes of homelessness (76%). Fewer reported integrating comprehensive care into acute visits (61%) or having medical-legal partnerships (57%). Federally qualified health center status was associated with meeting more recommendations. We described barriers and facilitators to meeting recommendations.

DISCUSSION

Health care organizations serving homeless children largely meet AAP recommendations, but integrating comprehensive care into acute visits remains an area for improvement. Disseminating best practices may support guideline adherence.

The availability of novelty sweets within high school localities

Highlights the growth in the novelty sweets market.

These sweets are acidic and sweet and therefore can lead to both dental caries and dental erosion.

The high sugar content may also contribute to overnutrition and overweight or obesity.

The design of these sweets, in resealable containers, encourages repeated consumption which is detrimental to oral health.

Background Reducing sugar consumption is a primary focus of current global public health policy. Achieving 5% of total energy from free sugars will be difficult acknowledging the concentration of free sugars in sugar sweetened beverages, confectionery and as hidden sugars in many savoury items. The expansion of the novelty sweet market in the UK has significant implications for children and young adults as they contribute to dental caries, dental erosion and obesity.

Objective To identify the most available types of novelty sweets within the high school fringe in Cardiff, UK and to assess their price range and where and how they were displayed in shops.

Subjects and methods Shops within a ten minute walking distance around five purposively selected high schools in the Cardiff aea representing different levels of deprivation were visited. Shops in Cardiff city centre and three supermarkets were also visited to identify the most commonly available novelty sweets.

Results The ten most popular novelty sweets identified in these scoping visits were (in descending order): Brain Licker, Push Pop, Juicy Drop, Lickedy Lips, Big Baby Pop, Vimto candy spray, Toxic Waste, Tango candy spray, Brain Blasterz Bitz and Mega Mouth candy spray. Novelty sweets were located on low shelves which were accessible to all age-groups in 73% (14 out of 19) of the shops. Novelty sweets were displayed in the checkout area in 37% (seven out of 19) shops. The price of the top ten novelty sweets ranged from 39p to £1.

Conclusion A wide range of acidic and sugary novelty sweets were easily accessible and priced within pocket money range. Those personnel involved in delivering dental and wider health education or health promotion need to be aware of recent developments in children's confectionery. The potential effects of these novelty sweets on both general and dental health require further investigation.

Prevalence of obesity among students aged 6 to 12 in China: a meta-analysis

Background

In recent years, obesity has become a major public health problem worldwide. It has been estimated that 8% of children are obese. This study evaluates the overall prevalence of obesity in primary students in recent years.

Methods

Publications from 2011 and 2015 on the obesity prevalence among primary school students aged 6 to 12 in China were retrieved from the databases PubMed and Wanfang Data. Obesity was defined using the International Obesity Task Force standard body mass index cutoff points established for children. MetaAnalyst 3.13 software was used to calculate the total prevalence of obesity among primary school students in recent years.

Results

After evaluation of the quality of the articles, 14 papers were finally included in our study. The pooled prevalence of obesity in students aged 6 to 12 is 10.2% (95% CI: 7.1–14.6%).

Conclusion

Our results indicate that obesity is prevalent in students aged 6 to 12 in China. We believe that appropriate measures should be taken to control this situation.

Youth Homelessness: Prevalence and Associations with Weight in Three Regions

This study investigated the utility of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to document associations between homeless status and weight while estimating the prevalence of youth homelessness in three regions. A school-based survey, the YRBS includes youths who have been difficult to involve in past research. Analysis of 2011 YRBS data produced population-weighted estimates of youth homelessness prevalence separately for Connecticut, Delaware, and Philadelphia. Public high school students anonymously reported their housing status, height, and weight on the YRBS. Height and weight were converted to body mass index (BMI) percentile-for-age scores. Homelessness was associated with higher BMI percentile scores for youths compared with nonhomeless peers. Associations between BMI percentile and different forms of homelessness (homeless with family, unaccompanied homeless without family) were explored at each site. Estimates of one-month homelessness prevalence ranged from 3.9 percent to 5.9 percent at each site. Homelessness, especially family homelessness, is associated with risk for higher BMI. The YRBS is an informative tool for estimating the prevalence of youth homelessness, expanding on what is known through other, more commonly used methods.

Anthropometric measurements and dental caries in children: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

There is growing interest in the association between anthropometric measurements and dental caries in childhood over time (life-course studies). The aim of this review was to identify and systematically review the evidence of the association between anthropometric measurements and dental caries in childhood over time. PubMed, Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Knowledge, the Cochrane Library, and 6 other databases were searched to identify effective articles. A systematic approach involving critical appraisal was conducted to examine the relation between anthropometric measurements and dental caries in preschool- and school-aged populations from longitudinal studies. An initial search identified 1338 studies, with 59 potentially effective studies (κ = 0.82) and 17 effective studies (κ = 0.88). The quality of reporting among the studies ranged from 19.5 to 30.0 according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) criteria. Among the effective studies, 2 studies in which caries was used to predict anthropometric measurements consistently found an inverse association and 15 studies in which anthropometric measurements were used to predict caries were inconsistent, with results appearing to be influenced by nonuniformity of assessments, setting, and procedure of measurements; age and ethnicity of participants; and confounders of dental caries. In conclusion, among >1000 studies identified, 17 informed this systematic review. The quality of reporting of these studies varied considerably. Evidence of the association between anthropometric measurements and dental caries is conflicting and remains inconclusive.