Jẹdíjẹdí, free sugar consumption and early childhood caries experience in Ile-Ife, Nigeria: a cultural dimension to dental caries risk

Background Jẹ̀díjẹ̀dí is a Yoruba ethnomedical gastrointestinal phenomenon associated with reduced refined carbohydrate consumption. This study assessed the associations between maternal belief in “jẹ̀díjẹ̀dí” and age of sugar introduction into children's diets, daily frequency of refined carbohydrate consumption between meals, and early childhood caries (ECC) experience in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Methods This study involved a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected from 878 mother-child dyads residing in Ile-Ife Central Local Government Area between December 2024 and January 2025. Participants were selected through a multi-stage random sampling process. Data were collected using structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires as well as clinical dental examinations that used the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index. Three separate multivariable logistic regression models were employed to assess the association between maternal belief in jẹ̀díjẹ̀dí and three oral health outcomes (age of introduction of sugar into diet, frequency of consumption of refined carbohydrate between meals daily, and ECC experience). These models adjusted for covariates (socioeconomic status as a contextual factor; the child's age, sex, use of fluoride toothpaste, and toothbrushing frequency as child-level factors; and the mother's age and knowledge of caries prevention as mother-level factors). Results Among the 878 children included in the study, 538 (61.3%) had been introduced to refined carbohydrates before their first birthday, 202 (23.0%) consumed refined carbohydrates more than three times per day between meals, 713 (81.2%) expressed belief in jẹ̀díjẹ̀dí, while 70 (8.0%) children have ECC. Maternal belief in jẹ̀díjẹ̀dí was associated with non-significant trends suggesting a possible delay in sugar introduction (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.119; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.776–1.614; p = 0.547) and a lower frequency of refined carbohydrate consumption (AOR: 1.412; 95% CI: 0.942–2.115; p = 0.095). There was no significant association observed between belief in jẹ̀díjẹ̀dí and the presence of ECC (AOR: 1.002; 95% CI: 0.516–1.947; p = 0.995). Conclusion While maternal belief in jẹ̀díjẹ̀dí was not significantly associated with the oral health outcomes, it demonstrated a tendency toward protective dietary practices. Future studies should explore leveraging jẹ̀díjẹ̀dí within culturally tailored ECC prevention programs.