Sugar consumption in 5 and 12-year-old school children in Ondo State, Nigeria in 1985.

In a previous study (Olojugba & Lennon, 1987) of 5 and 12-year-old children residing in Ondo State, Nigeria, it was shown that caries had increased (1977 to 1983) in children of both age groups in higher social class families; caries had also increased in the 12-year-old children but not in those aged 5 year olds among lower social class families. The object of the present study was to examine sugar consumption in samples of children of the same age groups drawn from the same population. One hundred families with siblings in both age groups were selected. 24-hour dietary records were obtained for each child; an inventory was also made of all food and drink stored within the home. The 5-year-old children from the higher social class families had 5.9 sugar intakes, as against 1.5 intakes among their lower social class urban counterparts. All the sugar-containing items were consumed by the 5-year-old children at home. The difference in the frequency of intake among those aged 12 years was much less obvious, 4.9 and 4.2 intakes respectively. Sixty-eight per cent of the intakes among the lower social class 12-year-old children was in the form of cheap sugar-containing drinks, ice lollies and sweets which they bought themselves and consumed away from home. These cheap sources of sugar were not available to their younger siblings. It was concluded that the sugar consumption patterns recorded in the children, and confirmed by the household food inventory, provided a plausible explanation of the previously reported changes in caries severity.