Relationship Between Inequalities In Oral Health And Family Socio-economic Status Among Children In China

Objctive:1. To access the relationship between inequalities in oral health and family socio-economic status(income, education, occupational) among children aged5years old.2. To access income related oral health by using relative household income (poverty-income ratio) and absolute household income.3. To investigate the contribution of behaviour in attenuating the socioeconomic gradient in oral health status.Method:The cross-sectional data from the2005wave of the third national survey of oral health status of5years old in Guangxi, Hubei, Jilin, Shanxi provinces was analyzed. The data were collected by using oral examination and structure questionnaire. Statistical analysis were used SPSS(13.0), univariate analysis(x2test)to explore the patterns of relationships between the variables. Relationship between inequalities and family income, educational level, and occupation level were analyzed by using Multiple logistic regressions. Income-related inequality in the distribution of dental caries and dental pain was measured by using Concentration Index (CI).Findings:The total3414children were checked, the prevalence of dental caries were67.8%, and dmfts were3.94, filling rate was1.71%. The prevalence of dental caries were unanimous with boys and girls; there were statistical significance in the prevalence of dental caries between city and country(p<0.05).The total2171response the questionnaires, the response rate was99%. For the prevalence of dental caries, highest-income groups were61.4%, lowest significantly to the lower-income groups were68.8%. Toothache rate were29.3%, lowest-income group (33.0%)were higer than, highest-income group (27.5%). The people who reporting poorer perceived oral health was higher in the lowest-income group (19.4%) and lower in the highest-income group(16.7%), howere,there were no statistical significance among each groups. The prevalence of caries were statistical significantly higher in children whose parents with lower level of education and occupation.There were income-related inequality in oral health,the CI for caries prevalence,toothache rate and reporting poor perceived oral health were-0.028,-0.032and-0.037.Separately,the results indicated disproportionate concentration of dental caries, dental pain and perceived oral health among children from poor family. Multiple logistic Regression analysis showed that prevalence of caries were1.66times,1.37times,1.28times and experience of toothache conditions were11.8times,2.93times,2.05times higher in children who from the family with lowest in household income, parents’ educational level and occupational status compare to children who from family with highest income, highest parents’ educational level, highest occupational status after controlling for the effects. The percent of people who reporing poor perceived oral health was1.84 time higher at lowsest level of income.Conclusion:There were relationship between inequalities in oral health and family socio-economic status among in this sample of Children.