Association of Provincial Sugary Food Consumption with Dental and Oral Health Problems in Indonesia: An Ecological Study

Abstract

Dental and oral health problems remain a significant public health issue in Indonesia. Although consumption of sugary foods is a recognized risk factor for oral diseases, ecological evidence at the provincial level remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association of provincial sugary food consumption with dental and oral health problems in Indonesia. An ecological study was conducted using secondary data from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) and Statistics Indonesia (BPS). The analysis included 34 Indonesian provinces. The dependent variable was the provincial proportion of individuals reporting dental and oral health problems. The primary independent variable was the provincial proportion of residents consuming sugary foods more than once daily. Toothbrushing behavior, mean years of schooling, and poverty rate were included as covariates. Spearman's rank correlation and multiple linear regression were performed. Consumption of sugary foods was significantly associated with dental and oral health problems (β = 0.509; p = 0.002). The regression model was statistically significant (F = 3.734; p = 0.014) and explained 34.0% of the variation in dental and oral health problems (R² = 0.340). Other covariates were not significantly associated with the outcome. Higher provincial consumption of sugary foods was independently associated with a greater proportion of dental and oral health problems in Indonesia, highlighting the importance of reducing sugar consumption through population-based oral health promotion strategies.