OBJECTIVES: We measured racial/ethnic inequalities in US children's dental health and quantified the contribution of conceptually relevant factors. METHODS: Using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, we investigated racial/ethnic disparities in selected child dental health and preventive care outcomes. We employed a decomposition model to quantify demographic, socioeconomic, maternal health, health insurance, neighborhood, and geographic effects. RESULTS: Hispanic children had the poorest dental health and lowest preventive dental care utilization, followed by Black then White children. The model explanatory variables accounted for 58% to 77% of the disparities in dental health and 89% to 100% of the disparities in preventive dental care. Socioeconomic status accounted for 71% of the gap in preventive dental care between Black children and White children and 55% of that between Hispanic children and White children. Maternal health, age, and marital status; neighborhood safety and social capital; and state of residence were relevant factors. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing US children's racial/ethnic dental health disparities-which are mostly socioeconomically driven-requires policies that recognize the multilevel pathways underlying them and the need for household- and neighborhood-level interventions.
OBJECTIVES: We measured racial/ethnic inequalities in US children's dental health and quantified the contribution of conceptually relevant factors. METHODS: Using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, we investigated racial/ethnic disparities in selected child dental health and preventive care outcomes. We employed a decomposition model to quantify demographic, socioeconomic, maternal health, health insurance, neighborhood, and geographic effects. RESULTS: Hispanic children had the poorest dental health and lowest preventive dental care utilization, followed by Black then White children. The model explanatory variables accounted for 58% to 77% of the disparities in dental health and 89% to 100% of the disparities in preventive dental care. Socioeconomic status accounted for 71% of the gap in preventive dental care between Black children and White children and 55% of that between Hispanic children and White children. Maternal health, age, and marital status; neighborhood safety and social capital; and state of residence were relevant factors. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing US children's racial/ethnic dental health disparities-which are mostly socioeconomically driven-requires policies that recognize the multilevel pathways underlying them and the need for household- and neighborhood-level interventions.
Authors: Gloria C Mejia; Jane A Weintraub; Nancy F Cheng; Wynne Grossman; Pamela Z Han; Kathy R Phipps; Stuart A Gansky Journal: Community Dent Oral Epidemiol Date: 2010-12-29 Impact factor: 3.383
Authors: Ashley H Hirai; Donald K Hayes; Maile M Taualii; Gopal K Singh; Loretta J Fuddy Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2013-09-12 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Jin Xiao; Naemah Alkhers; Dorota T Kopycka-Kedzierawski; Ronald J Billings; Tong Tong Wu; Daniel A Castillo; Linda Rasubala; Hans Malmstrom; Yanfang Ren; Eli Eliav Journal: Caries Res Date: 2019-01-10 Impact factor: 4.056