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International Journal for Equity in Health
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research

Socioeconomic inequalities in self-perceived oral health among adults in Chile

Authors: Francisco Gallego, Cristián Larroulet, Leonor Palomer, Andrea Repetto, Diego Verdugo

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

This paper studies the socioeconomic disparities in self-perceived oral health among Chilean adults and in the perceived physical, functional, psychological and social consequences of oral health.

Methods

In February 2011, 1,413 residents of Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile, were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire and examined by dentists for dental status and oral health conditions. Only adults 18 to 60 years old affiliated with the public healthcare system were eligible to participate. We estimate socioeconomic gradients in self-perceived oral health and its distinct dimensions. We use the Heckman two-step procedure to control for selection bias given the non-random nature of the sample. In addition, we use a two-equation ordered response model given the discrete nature of the dependent variable.

Results

There is a non-linear socioeconomic gradient in self-perceived oral health even after controlling for oral health status. The gradient is steep at the lower end of the income distribution and constant at mid-income levels. These socioeconomic disparities are also found for the psychological and social dimensions of self-perceived oral health, but not for the functional limitations and physical pain dimensions.

Conclusions

The findings are consistent with inequities in the access to oral health services due to insufficient provision in the public sector and costly options in the private sector.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Footnotes
1
Results of the program evaluation are in Gallego et al., in progress [52].
 
2
We use health insurance categories instead of income as a proxy for material resources because we suspect household income is underreported in our baseline sample, particularly for higher income individuals within the public health insurance system.
 
3
The linear model results yield similar conclusions and are available upon request.
 
4
For instance, Gallego et al. [52] analyse the impact of oral health on both SPOH and the Rosenberg scores in the context of an experimental design constructed using the sample of this study.
 
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Metadata
Title
Socioeconomic inequalities in self-perceived oral health among adults in Chile
Authors
Francisco Gallego
Cristián Larroulet
Leonor Palomer
Andrea Repetto
Diego Verdugo
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-017-0519-9

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