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International Journal for Equity in Health
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research

Disparities in the experience and treatment of dental caries among children aged 9–18 years: the cross-sectional study of Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2012–2013)

Authors: Juyeong Kim, Young Choi, Sohee Park, Jeong Lim Kim, Tae-Hoon Lee, Kyoung Hee Cho, Eun-Cheol Park

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

The aim of this study is to examine the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and the experience as well as treatment of dental caries among children aged 9 to 18 years.

Methods

Data from 1253 children aged 9–18 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2012–2013) were analyzed. Parental socioeconomic status was measured using household income level and maternal educational level. The decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index was used to measure experience of dental caries (DMFT ≥ 1). Non-treatment of dental caries was measured according to whether the participants who experienced dental caries used a dental service at a dental clinic to treat caries during the previous year. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between parental socioeconomic status and the experience of dental caries as well as the association between parental socioeconomic status and the non-treatment of dental caries among children that have experienced caries.

Results

A total of 808 subjects (64.5 %) experienced dental caries among 1253 participants, and 582 of these 808 subjects (72.0 %) did not receive treatment among those having experience of dental caries. Parental socioeconomic status was not associated with experience of dental caries. However, those from low- and middle-income households were less likely to receive treatment than those from high-income households (odds ratio [OR] 2.11 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.16–3.86], OR 2.14 [95 % CI 1.27–3.62]). In particular, those from low- and middle-income households who had regular dental checkups were more likely to have untreated caries than those from high-income households (OR 3.58 [95 % CI 1.25–10.24]).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the parental household income–related disparities in children’s dental health treatment. Efforts should be made to lower financial barriers to dental health services, particularly among those from low-income households, in order to reduce dental health disparities in the treatment of caries in children.
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Metadata
Title
Disparities in the experience and treatment of dental caries among children aged 9–18 years: the cross-sectional study of Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2012–2013)
Authors
Juyeong Kim
Young Choi
Sohee Park
Jeong Lim Kim
Tae-Hoon Lee
Kyoung Hee Cho
Eun-Cheol Park
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0377-x

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