Analysis of durations and frequencies of mouthing behaviors in children 6 months to 6 years

An advanced videotaping and translation approach

Bibliographic Data

ID22066717
AuthorsFoluke Adelabu (North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University), Cristina Fayad-Martinez (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences), Olusola Olabisi Ogunseye (0000-0001-7390-8413, University of Arizona), Jenna Honan (University of Arizona), Maribeth Gidley (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences), Paloma I Beamer (0000-0001-5287-2183, University of Arizona), Helena Solo-Gabriele (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences), Alesia Ferguson (0000-0002-8485-4569, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume14
Pages1817680-1817680
Publication date2026-05-12
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2026.1817680
PMID42221637
OpenAlexW7160888608
LanguageEN
References cited45

Background Children are susceptible to harmful substances found in indoor dust through frequent hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth contacts. Despite the importance of this exposure route, few studies have quantified the frequency, duration, or patterns of mouthing behaviors in indoor residential settings, creating uncertainty in exposure and risk models. Objective This study quantified the frequency and duration of indoor mouthing contacts for children 6 months to 6 years across sociodemographic variables including age, sex, ethnicity, race and geographic region using advanced videotaping and video translation methodologies. Methods Ninety-nine children were videotaped for 3–4 h during natural indoor play across three U.S. regions (Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina). 360-degree cameras were mounted in different rooms to capture natural behavior without researcher presence. Footage was tracked and merged sequentially, then translated into Micro-Level Activity Time Series (MLATS) using the Virtual Timing Device (VTD), documenting each mouthing contact with specific surfaces and household locations to generate frequency (contacts/h) and duration (minutes/h) data. Results Mouthing duration showed significant age-related differences (Kruskal–Wallis χ 2 = 12.0, p = 0.007), with median duration declining from 18.67 min/h in children 6–<12 months to 5.02 min/h in children 3–<6 years. Four surfaces accounted for the majority of mouthing duration: “other food” (4.25%), “pacifiers” (3.91%), “food containers” (3.41%), and “hands” (2.92%). Pacifier use showed complete discontinuation by age 3–<6 years ( p = 0.008). No significant differences in total mouthing duration or frequency were observed across sex, race, ethnicity, or geographic region, suggesting that age-stratified exposure factors may be sufficient without additional demographic stratification. Conclusion This study provides age-specific mouthing contact data to improve children’s exposure and risk estimates. The finding that duration decreases significantly with age while frequency remains stable suggests that exposure models should incorporate both parameters. The 360-degree camera methodology reduced observer interference while capturing comprehensive behavioral data across household microenvironments

Discontinuation · Housekeeping · Pacifier · Video recording · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure · Infection Control and Ventilation

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access