Dental caries among children visiting a mobile dental clinic in South Central Kentucky: a pooled cross-sectional study

BMC Oral Health

Gary English²  Daniel Carter³  Tina Peterson¹  Gregory Ellis-Griffith²  Akihiko Michimi²  Erika Dawkins² 

[1] Department of Social Work, College of Health and Human Services, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA;Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA;The Institute for Rural Health, College of Health and Human Services, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA

关键词: Kentucky;    Mobile dental clinics;    Children;    Caries;    Dental health;   

Others  :  1126099
DOI  :  10.1186/1472-6831-13-19

 received in 2013-02-18, accepted in 2013-04-15,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Dental caries is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases affecting a large portion of children in the United States. The prevalence of childhood dental caries in Kentucky is among the highest in the nation. The purposes of this study are to (1) compare sociodemographic differences between caries and no caries groups and (2) investigate factors associated with untreated dental caries among children who visited a mobile dental clinic in South Central Kentucky.

Methods

Study subjects were children aged 6 to 15 years who participated in the school-based dental sealant program through the mobile dental clinic operated by the Institute for Rural Health at Western Kentucky University between September 2006 and May 2011 (n = 2,453). Descriptive statistics were calculated for sociodemographic factors (age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance status, and urban versus rural residential location) and caries status. We used chi-square tests to compare sociodemographic differences of children stratified by caries and no caries status as well as three levels of caries severity. We developed a logistic regression model to investigate factors associated with untreated dental caries while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics.

Results

The proportion of children having untreated dental caries was 49.7% and the mean number of untreated dental caries was 2.0. The proportion of untreated dental caries was higher in older children, children with no insurance and living in rural residential locations, and caries severity was also higher in these groups. Odds ratio indicated that older ages, not having private insurance (having only public, government-sponsored insurance or no insurance at all) and rural residential location were associated with having untreated dental caries after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of children.

Conclusions

Untreated dental caries was more likely to be present in older children living in rural areas without insurance. Health interventionists may use this information and target rural children without having proper insurance in order to reduce geographic disparities in untreated dental caries in South Central Kentucky.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Dawkins et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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