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Fleming E, Taylor GW, Neighbors HW. Systemic racism and racial inequities in periodontal health: The long journey from upstream determinants to downstream treatment. Periodontol 2000 2024. [PMID: 38501675 DOI: 10.1111/prd.12559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Racial disparities in the prevalence of periodontal disease are consistent and persistent. The epidemiology of periodontal disease demonstrates racial inequities: non-Hispanic Black (14.7%), Mexican American (13.4%), and other Hispanic adults (7.8%) experience a higher prevalence of severe periodontal disease than non-Hispanic White adults (5.9%). Epidemiologic and clinical research on periodontal health suffers from the same problem that has plagued the health equity movement, an over emphasis on describing racial inequities coupled with few interventions that reduce racial health inequity. Over the decades that racial inequities in periodontal disease have been observed, many have argued that systemic racism is the fundamental driver of racial health inequity. This paper interrogates the roles of systemic racism, dental education, clinical treatment, and patient behavior in periodontal disease. We describe how, together, these mechanisms contribute to racial disparities in periodontal outcomes. However, it is insufficient for oral health equity scientists to only describe and discuss the negative effects of systemic racism. The imperative is to create antiracist strategies designed to eliminate systemic racism. Health equity scientists must also specify how dental systems operate in a racist manner and create effective clinical strategies designed to reduce racial disparities in periodontal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Fleming
- Department of Dental Public Health, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - George W Taylor
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, Division of Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health, University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Harold Woody Neighbors
- Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Raskin SE, Thakkar-Samtani M, Santoro M, Fleming EB, Heaton LJ, Tranby EP. Discrimination and Dignity Experiences in Prior Oral Care Visits Predict Racialized Oral Health Inequities Among Nationally Representative US Adults. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2023:10.1007/s40615-023-01821-0. [PMID: 37848669 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01821-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Racism, an oppressive and fallacious sociopolitical hierarchy, is a fundamental cause of oral health inequities worldwide. Everyday discrimination is associated with worse self-rated oral health, toothache and adult tooth loss, and lower oral care utilization. Few studies examine discrimination or microaggressions within oral care settings or their effects on oral health outcomes. We adapted the seven-item Everyday Discrimination Scale to the oral care setting (EDSOC); developed a four-item Dignity in Oral Care Scale (DOCS); fielded them to a probability-based nationally representative sample of US households as part of the 2022 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey (SOHEA, n = 5682); and examined associations between EDSOC and DOCS scores and three outcomes: self-rated oral health, duration since last oral care visit, and planning for future preventive/routine oral care. Nearly, all EDSCOC and DOCS measures were significantly associated with oral health outcomes. Discrimination experience in dental settings had an additive effect on reporting fair/poor oral health and a suppressive effect on planning a future dental visit. Indignity experience doubled-to-quadrupled the likelihood of reporting fair/poor oral health, not having visited a dentist in 2 years, and not planning a future oral care visit. Racio-ethnically minoritized patients may experience the unjust double bind of resolving urgent dental or completing preventive services needs amidst being treated in a discriminatory manner or without dignity. Oral health stakeholders should invest more effort to understand relationships between racism and oral health outcomes and introduce evidence-based interventions to ultimately abolish this societal harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Raskin
- L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA.
| | | | - Morgan Santoro
- Analytics and Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Lisa J Heaton
- Analytics and Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric P Tranby
- Analytics and Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Heaton B, Bond JC, Bae J, Cozier Y. Perceived experiences of racism linked to dental fear and anxiety among Black women. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2023; 51:896-907. [PMID: 35964228 PMCID: PMC9925613 DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Dental fear and anxiety are known determinants of delaying or avoiding dental care and vary considerably based on factors such as age and gender. However, little is known about dental fear and anxiety in racial/ethnic minority populations, which bear a disproportionate burden of poor oral health outcomes. Structural and social pathways responsible for producing these disparities are also understudied. Experiences of racism over the lifecourse may contribute to poor oral health outcomes through a pathway of dental fear and anxiety. This paper aimed to evaluate perceived experiences with racism, dental fear and anxiety, and the utilization of dental services, in the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS), a United States-based prospective cohort. METHODS Analysis of prospective data obtained from a geographic subset of participants in the BWHS was conducted. In 2014, BWHS participants residing in Massachusetts responded to a mailed oral health questionnaire that included the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+) instrument (N = 484; 69% response rate). Previously collected demographic and health information, along with reported experiences of everyday and lifetime racism, obtained from national BWHS questionnaires between 1995 and 2009, were merged with the Massachusetts-based sub-sample. Associations between high dental anxiety (HDA) (mean IDAF-4C+ score ≥2.5 on the dental fear and anxiety module) and oral health outcomes and perceived racism and HDA were explored via prevalence ratios (PR) calculated using log-binomial regression models, including adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS Reported exposures to everyday racism occurred weekly on average for the top 25% of the sample, while 13% of participants reported exposure to multiple (n = 3) experiences of unfair treatment due to their race over their lifetime. HDA was prevalent among 17.8% of the sample and was significantly associated with indicators of poor oral health status. High exposures to everyday and lifetime experiences of racism were positively associated with HDA (PR = 1.08; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.58 and PR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.88, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Significant associations between racism and HDA, and between HDA and poor oral health and reduced utilization of dental care were observed. Dental anxiety may be a pathway through which perceived experiences with racism may impact oral health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Heaton
- Department of Health Policy & Health, Services Research, Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental, Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston, University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Julia C. Bond
- Department of Health Policy & Health, Services Research, Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental, Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston, University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaeyoung Bae
- Department of Health Policy & Health, Services Research, Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental, Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yvette Cozier
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston, University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston, University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Cozier YC, Heaton B, Robles Y, C Bond J, I Garcia R, Coogan P, Rosenberg L. Perceived racism associated with declines in self-rated oral health among U.S. Black women. Ann Epidemiol 2023; 84:54-59. [PMID: 37244316 PMCID: PMC10525027 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Racial disparities in oral health are well-documented. Stress has been associated with both perceived racism and oral health, yet little research has directly investigated the association between perceived racism and oral health. METHODS We used data from the Black Women's Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study that includes a geographically diverse sample of Black women across the United States. Perceived exposure to racism was assessed via two scales, one assessing lifetime exposure and one everyday exposure. Self-rated oral health was subsequently assessed over multiple time points. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate adjusted incidence rate ratios estimating the association between higher levels of perceived racism and incident "fair" or "poor" oral health, and explored potential effect measure modification using stratified models. RESULTS The adjusted incidence rate ratios (n = 27,008) relating perceived racism to incident fair or poor oral health were 1.50 (95% confidence interval 1.35, 1.66) comparing the highest quartile of everyday racism to the lowest and 1.45 (95% confidence interval 1.31, 1.61) for the highest score of lifetime racism compared to the lowest. We did not see evidence of effect modification. CONCLUSIONS Higher levels of perceived racism documented in 2009 were associated with declines in self-rated oral health from 2011 to 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette C Cozier
- Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, MA; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Brenda Heaton
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA.
| | - Yvonne Robles
- Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - Julia C Bond
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Raul I Garcia
- Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA
| | | | - Lynn Rosenberg
- Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, MA
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Luo H, Wu B, González H, Stickel A, Kaste L, Tarraf W, Daviglus M, Sanders A, Cai J. Tooth Loss, Periodontal Disease, and Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Hispanic/Latino Immigrants: The Moderating Effects of Age at Immigration. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023; 78:949-957. [PMID: 36049219 PMCID: PMC10235192 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glac178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The objectives were to assess (a) the association between poor oral health and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Hispanic/Latino immigrants and (b) potential modification effects on this association by age at immigration. METHODS Data were from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and its ancillary study-the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging. MCI, a binary outcome variable, defined by the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association criteria. The main exposure was significant tooth loss (STL), defined as a loss of 8 or more teeth, and periodontitis, classified using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Periodontology case classification. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between STL/periodontitis and MCI and test moderation effects of age at immigration. The analytical sample comprised 5 709 Hispanic/Latino adult immigrants. RESULTS Hispanic/Latino immigrants with STL (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.85) were more likely to have MCI than those with greater tooth retention. Overall, migration to the United States after age 18 was associated with greater odds of MCI than migration at a younger age. A significant interaction effect between STL and age at immigration revealed that the effect of STL on MCI is even higher in those who immigrated to the United States at ages 35-49 years. CONCLUSIONS STL is a significant risk factor for MCI and age at immigration had a modification effect on the association between STL and MCI. Better access to dental care, health education on risk factors of MCI, and promotion of good oral health may mitigate the burden of cognitive impairment in Hispanics/Latinos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huabin Luo
- Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bei Wu
- Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Hector M González
- Department of Neurosciences and Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Ariana Stickel
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Linda M Kaste
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Wassim Tarraf
- Department of Healthcare Sciences, Wayne State University, Institute of Gerontology, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Martha L Daviglus
- Institute for Minority Health Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Anne E Sanders
- Division of Pediatric and Public Health, Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jianwen Cai
- Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Fleming E, Bastos JL, Jamieson L, Celeste RK, Raskin SE, Gomaa N, McGrath C, Tiwari T. Conceptualizing inequities and oppression in oral health research. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2023; 51:28-35. [PMID: 36749670 DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Major sociohistorical processes have profound effects on oral health, with impacts experienced through structural oppression manifested in policies and practices across the lifespan. Structural oppression drives oral health inequities and impacts population-level oral health. In this global perspective paper, we challenge old assumptions about oral health inequities, address misleading conceptualizations in their description and operation and reframe oral health through the lens of intersecting systems of oppression. Furthermore, we emphasize the need for oral health researchers to explore causal pathways through which oppression harms oral health and engage in social science concepts to understand the root causes of oral health inequities fully. Finally, we call on policymakers, dental scholars and decision makers to consider health equity in all policies and to take a systems-oriented approach to effectively address oral health inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - João L Bastos
- Graduate Program in Public Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Lisa Jamieson
- Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Roger K Celeste
- Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Sarah E Raskin
- iCubed Initiative Oral Health Core, Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, USA
| | - Noha Gomaa
- Oral Diagnostic Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Colman McGrath
- Applied Oral Sciences & Community Dental Care, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Tamanna Tiwari
- School of Dental Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
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7
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Tooth loss over 13 years of follow-up: can regular dental visits reduce racial and socioeconomic inequalities? J Dent 2022; 122:104110. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2022.104110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Bastos JL, Constante HM, Celeste RK, Haag DG, Jamieson LM. Advancing racial equity in oral health (research): more of the same is not enough. Eur J Oral Sci 2020; 128:459-466. [PMID: 32969112 DOI: 10.1111/eos.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
By critically appraising the literature on the oral health effects of race-based oppression, this focus article makes four recommendations that may both facilitate more nuanced research on the topic and mitigate racial/ethnic inequities in (oral) health. The first is recognizing that science itself may perpetuate racial/ethnic injustice, such that adopting a 'neutral' position must be replaced with actively fostering anti-racist narratives. The second is to not imply that racial oppression is bad because it harms oral health. Rather, studies should help build a fairer world, wherein oral health inequities would not abound. The third recommendation is encouraging initiatives that understand systems of oppression as conjointly operating to shape oral health. The fourth and final recommendation is taking race-based oppression as a multi-level system that operates on three inter-related conceptual levels - intra-personal, inter-personal, and structural. The extent to which scholars, practitioners, and policymakers are willing to follow these recommendations may determine how successful attempts to eradicate (oral) health inequities might be. Learning from, and avoiding mistakes made in, previous publications is one ethical pathway towards this end.
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Affiliation(s)
- João L Bastos
- Department of Public Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Helena M Constante
- Department of Public Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Roger K Celeste
- Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Dandara G Haag
- Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Adelaide Dental School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Lisa M Jamieson
- Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Adelaide Dental School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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Kabani FA, Stockbridge EL, Berly Varghese B, Loethen AD. Acculturation and the oral health of a nationally representative sample of Hispanic children in the United States: an analysis of 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health data. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:111. [PMID: 31992248 PMCID: PMC6988338 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-8045-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oral disease is a serious public health issue, and Hispanic children in the United States (US) are more likely than children of other racial/ethnic groups to experience dental caries. Although Hispanic children are a growing segment of the US population there is limited research on the association between acculturation and oral health outcomes in this population. This study examined the associations between household acculturation and pediatric oral health in the Hispanic population using a nationally representative sample of children. METHODS Data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health were analyzed; analyses included Hispanic children ages 1 to 17. Household acculturation was assessed with a combination of language and parental nativity, while oral health was assessed via parents'/guardians' reports of children's dental caries. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between acculturation and oral health, adjusting for other demographic and social determinants of pediatric oral health. We assessed significance at the p < 0.05 level, and all analyses accounted for the survey's complex sample design. RESULTS Analyses included 9143 Hispanic children. In total, 24.9% (95% CI: 22.9-27.0%) experienced dental caries, and there were significant associations between household acculturation and oral health. In unadjusted analyses, 32.0% (95% CI: 28.9-35.4%) of children in low acculturation households, 20.3% (95% CI: 16.0-25.4%) of children in moderate acculturation households, and 16.9% (95% CI: 14.2-20.0%) of children in high acculturation households experienced dental caries (p < 0.001). In adjusted analyses, children in high acculturation households were significantly less likely than those in low acculturation households to experience dental caries (p < 0.001; OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.35-0.70). The difference between children in moderate and low acculturation households approached but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.057; OR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.48-1.01). CONCLUSIONS A dose-response relationship was observed between household acculturation and the oral health of Hispanic children in the US. As acculturation increases, the likelihood of a child experiencing dental caries decreases. These findings suggest that public health and community-based interventions intended to reduce oral health disparities in Hispanic children would likely be most impactful if the acculturation levels of the children's households are considered during program development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faizan A Kabani
- Caruth School of Dental Hygiene, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, 3302 Gaston Avenue, Suite 136, Dallas, TX, 75246, USA
| | - Erica L Stockbridge
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems; School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA. .,Department of Advanced Health Analytics and Solutions; Magellan Health, Inc., 4800 N. Scottsdale Rd. #4400, Scottsdale, AZ, 85251, USA.
| | - Bibi Berly Varghese
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems; School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA.,SaferCare Texas; University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Abiah D Loethen
- Department of Advanced Health Analytics and Solutions; Magellan Health, Inc., 4800 N. Scottsdale Rd. #4400, Scottsdale, AZ, 85251, USA
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Sabbah W, Gireesh A, Chari M, Delgado-Angulo EK, Bernabé E. Racial Discrimination and Uptake of Dental Services among American Adults. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E1558. [PMID: 31060202 PMCID: PMC6540199 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16091558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between racial discrimination and use of dental services among American adults. We used data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a health-related telephone cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. Racial discrimination was indicated by two items, namely perception of discrimination while seeking healthcare within the past 12 months and emotional impact of discrimination within the past 30 days. Their association with dental visits in the past year was tested in logistic regression models adjusting for predisposing (age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, education, smoking status), enabling (health insurance), and need (missing teeth) factors. Approximately 3% of participants reported being discriminated when seeking healthcare in the past year, whereas 5% of participants reported the emotional impact of discrimination in the past month. Participants who experienced emotional impact of discrimination were less likely to have visited the dentist during the past year (Odds Ratios (OR): 0.57; 95% CI 0.44-0.73) than those who reported no emotional impact in a crude model. The association was attenuated but remained significant after adjustments for confounders (OR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.58-0.99). There was no association between healthcare discrimination and last year dental visit in the fully adjusted model. Emotional impact of racial discrimination was an important predictor of use of dental services. The provision of dental health services should be carefully assessed after taking account of racial discrimination and its emotional impacts within the larger context of social inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wael Sabbah
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, Bessemer Road, London SE5 9RS, UK.
| | - Aswathikutty Gireesh
- Institute of Child Health, Department of Population, Policy and Practice, University College London, 30 Guilford St, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
| | - Malini Chari
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, 124 Edward St, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada.
| | - Elsa K Delgado-Angulo
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, Bessemer Road, London SE5 9RS, UK.
| | - Eduardo Bernabé
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, Bessemer Road, London SE5 9RS, UK.
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11
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Does the skin color of patients influence the treatment decision-making of dentists? A randomized questionnaire-based study. Clin Oral Investig 2018; 23:1023-1030. [PMID: 29934799 DOI: 10.1007/s00784-018-2526-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether patients' skin color could exert an influence on the dentist's decision-making for treatment, in four different cities in Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS Lists of dentists were obtained and the sample selection was performed systematically. Two questionnaires were produced for the same clinical case, but the images were digitally manipulated to obtain a patient with a black and a white skin color. Dentists were free to choose treatment without any restrictions, including the financial aspects. A random sequence (white or black) was generated which was placed at random in sealed, opaque envelopes. Dentists were questioned about the decision on the treatment of a severely decayed tooth and an ill-adapted amalgam restoration. RESULTS A total of 636 dentists agreed to participate in the study. After adjustments (multinomial logistic regression), it was observed that the black patient with a decayed tooth had a 50% lower risk of being referred for prosthetic treatment (p = 0.023) and a 99% higher risk of receiving a composite resin restoration, compared to the white patient (p = 0.027). No differences were observed regarding recommendation for tooth extraction (p = 0.657). In relation to an ill-adapted amalgam, the black patient had less risk of receiving a referral replacement with composite resin (0.09 95%CI [0.01-0.82]) and finishing and polishing (0.11 5%CI [0.01-0.99]) compared with the white patient. CONCLUSION Patient skin color influenced the dentist's choice of treatment. In general, black patients receive referrals for cheaper, simpler procedures. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Skin color played an important role in dentists' treatment decisions. Professionals may contribute unconsciously to the propagation and replication of racial discrimination.
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Abstract
Together with other social categories, race has been at the core of much scholarly work in the area of humanities and social sciences, as well as a host of applied disciplines. In dentistry, debates have ranged from the use of race as a criterion for the recommendation of specific dental procedures to a means of assessing inequalities in a variety of outcomes. What is missing in these previous discussions, though, is a broader understanding of race that transcends relations with genetic makeup and other individual-level characteristics. In this review, we provide readers with a critique of the existing knowledge on race and oral health by answering the following 3 guiding questions: (1) What concepts and ideas are connected with race in the field of dentistry? (2) What can be learned and what is absent from the existing literature on the topic? (3) How can we enhance research and policy on racial inequalities in oral health? Taken together, the reviewed studies rely either on biological distinctions between racial categories or on other individual characteristics that may underlie racial disparities in oral health. Amidst a range of individual-level factors, racial inequalities have often been attributed to lower socioeconomic status and “health-damaging” cultural traits, for instance, patterns of and reasons for dental visits, dietary habits, and oral hygiene behaviors. While this literature has been useful in documenting large and persistent racial gaps in oral health, wider sociohistorical processes, such as systemic racism, as well as their relationships with economic exploitation, social stigmatization, and political marginalization, have yet to be operationalized among studies on the topic. A nascent body of research has recently begun to address some of these factors, but limited attention to structural theories of racism means that many more studies are needed to effectively mitigate racial health differentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.L. Bastos
- Department of Public Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - R.K. Celeste
- Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Y.C. Paradies
- Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University, Australia
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