Dietary Patterns and Oral Health Practices Among Primary School Children Aged 6–15 Years in Urban Informal Settlements of Eldoret City, Kenya

Why It Matters

The findings expose how diet and hygiene gaps drive preventable dental disease among vulnerable Kenyan children, signaling urgent need for public‑health action.

Key Takeaways

• Dental caries prevalence 26% among surveyed children
• Daily biscuits and cakes double caries odds (AOR 2.31)
• Daily sweets raise odds (AOR 2.42)
• Brushing less than twice daily triples odds (AOR 2.92)
• Not using fluoride toothpaste raises odds (AOR 1.83)

Pulse Analysis

Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease in children worldwide, yet its burden is disproportionately heavy in low‑income urban areas where sugary diets and limited preventive services intersect. In sub‑Saharan Africa, rapid nutrition transitions have introduced processed snacks and sweetened beverages, amplifying risk among children who lack regular dental check‑ups. This backdrop makes the Eldoret study a timely illustration of how socioeconomic constraints translate into oral health disparities, reinforcing global calls for targeted nutrition policies and accessible preventive care.

The Kenyan investigation employed a robust stratified random sample and WHO‑standardized clinical assessments, revealing that daily intake of biscuits, cakes, sweet pies, buns and candy more than doubled the odds of caries (AOR 2.31‑2.42). Equally striking, children who brushed less than twice a day faced nearly three times the risk (AOR 2.92), while those without fluoride toothpaste saw an 83% increase (AOR 1.83). These statistically significant associations underscore the synergistic impact of diet and hygiene, offering concrete metrics for policymakers and health educators to prioritize.

Translating these insights into action calls for school‑based oral health programs that combine nutrition education, regular fluoride toothpaste distribution, and supervised brushing sessions. Community outreach—leveraging local health workers and parent groups—can reinforce these habits at home. Investing in such integrated strategies not only improves children’s immediate well‑being but also reduces long‑term treatment costs for dental decay. The Eldoret findings thus serve as a blueprint for other informal settlements seeking to close the oral health gap through evidence‑based, cost‑effective interventions.