Prevalence of dental caries among Indigenous populations compared to non-Indigenous populations: a quantitative systematic review protocol

Influence of an oral health promotion program on the evolution of dental status in New Caledonia: A focus on health inequities

New Caledonia is a sui generis collectivity of overseas France situated in the south Pacific Ocean. Geographical and social inequalities are superimposed on ethnic disparities with high prevalence of chronic diseases such as oral diseases. In 2012, the health agency has evaluated the children's health status. Then, an oral health promotion program was developed in 2014. Another study was conducted in 2019 in New Caledonia to appreciate the evolution of children's oral health. A sample of 488 9-years-old children was randomly selected. Dental status was clinically recorded, families and children answered questionnaires about oral health determinants. The methodology (sampling, study variables…) was similar to the one used in the 2012 study. Multivariate mixed-models were conducted to compare 2012 and 2019 dental status and to explore the determinants of caries experience in 2019. Results indicated that caries prevalence and experience decreased between 2012 and 2019, with nonetheless various trends depending on the province or type of indexes. The number of carious lesions (d3t + D3T) in 2019 was used as an outcome variable in four models. Model 1 integrated social variables; ethnicity was found to be the only significant determinant. Model 2 was related to oral health care; participation in the program & and access to oral health care was found to be significant. For oral health behaviours (model 3), tooth brushing frequency and consumption of sugary snacks were significant risk factors. In a final model with significant variables from the previous models, ethnicity, accessibility of oral health care, number of sealed molars, consumption of sugary snacks remained explanatory factors. Five years after the implementation of the oral health promotion program, positive changes in oral health have been observed. However, health equity is still an issue with varying health status depending on ethnicity, behavioural factors and accessibility to oral health care.

Associations between Maternal Education and Child Nutrition and Oral Health in an Indigenous Population in Ecuador

The global nutrition transition has increased the prevalence of childhood dental caries. Greater understanding is needed of the impact of social determinants—including maternal education—on child oral health. This is a cross-sectional analysis of a convenience sample of families of 458 indigenous Ecuadorian children aged 6 months through 6 years from 2011−2013. Data was collected by mother interviews and child dental and anthropometric examinations. Multivariate logistic and Zero-Inflated-Poisson regression analyses assessed associations between years of maternal education and maternal-child oral health practices and child oral health outcomes. Each additional year of maternal education was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with some healthier practices including greater likelihood of mothers and children drinking milk daily (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.08, 1.34); and less healthy practices including greater likelihood of bottle-feeding children with sugary liquids (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.06, 1.22) and to older age, giving children sweets daily, calming children with a bottle or sweets, and less likelihood of helping brush their children’s teeth (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.88, 0.98). Each year of maternal education had a small but statistically non-significant influence on increasing the odds of children being among those who are cavity-free (OR 1.03; 95% CI 0.92, 1.16). Interventions to improve health outcomes should focus not just on maternal education but also address social and commercial determinants of health through nutrition and oral health education, as well as policies to reduce sugar and ensure universal access to oral health care.

Prevalence of periodontal disease among Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Indigenous populations globally experience worse oral health than their non-Indigenous counterpart. Globally, the occurrence of periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and chronic periodontitis is high among Indigenous people. This systematic review aims to quantify, at a global level, the prevalence of periodontal disease among Indigenous populations compared to non-Indigenous populations.

METHODS

This review will only consider studies that have reported the prevalence (%) of periodontal disease among Indigenous and compared against non-Indigenous populations. Studies that have no comparative population or data only on one particular population or lack of data on periodontal clinical assessment will be excluded. An electronic search will be conducted using keywords and appropriate MeSH terms across several databases capturing both published and unpublished articles. The search will be conducted from the time of database inception to February 2021. After the initial search, duplicates will be removed, and the remaining titles and abstracts will be assessed for eligibility. The full text of eligible studies will be assessed by two independent reviewers who will also complete the critical appraisals and data extraction. Outcomes measures would be the mean prevalence (%) and standard deviation of periodontal disease among Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. From the selected studies, we will conduct a random-effects meta-analysis using standardized mean difference as the effect measure. Forest plots will be used for the visualization of differences in the prevalence of periodontitis. A subgroup analysis will be conducted based on the definition of periodontitis, age, publication type, and geographical location. Heterogeneity among studies will be assessed by I² and chi-square test. Egger's test and funnel plots will be used to assess publication bias.

DISCUSSION

Our systematic review and meta-analysis will facilitate an increased understanding of the magnitude of periodontal disease inequalities that exist globally for Indigenous populations through pooled prevalence estimates. The findings will be helpful to design selective targeted preventive and interventional strategies for periodontal disease for reducing oral health inequalities at a global level.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42020188531.