LAUSR

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe and analyze factors related to dietary habits among young children. This study is part of the practice guideline development to promote good oral health under the pandemic situation. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among parents or relatives of 3–5 years old children who attended child care centers in one province of Southern Thailand using an online questionnaire submitted via teachers of each cluster. The number of participants required was 265 and cluster sampling method was performed. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors related to dietary habit. The questionnaire included general information, snack consumption, and factors related to snack consumption during the stay-at-home period. Results: Fifty-seven percent of the children did not increase their cariogenic snack consumption and most families increased their good food habits. Reservation of cariogenic snacks at home and high previous frequency of cariogenic snacks consumption were related to the increasing of cariogenic snack consumption when controlling for parents’ dietary control and good food behavior. Conclusion: Most of the children did not increase their snack consumption during the stay-at-home period and the factors related to increase of snake consumption behavior were reservation of snack and high baseline frequency of consumption.