Explaining racial/ethnic disparities in children's dental health: a decomposition analysis

Carol Cristina Guarnizo-Herreño; George L Wehby

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300548

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Explaining racial/ethnic disparities in children's dental health: a decomposition analysis

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Explaining racial/ethnic disparities in children's dental health: a decomposition analysis

Carol Cristina Guarnizo-Herreño and George L Wehby

American journal of public health (1971), Vol.102(5), pp.859-866

05/2012

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300548

PMCID: PMC3402215

PMID: 22420801

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Abstract

We measured racial/ethnic inequalities in US children's dental health and quantified the contribution of conceptually relevant factors. Using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, we investigated racial/ethnic disparities in selected child dental health and preventive care outcomes. We employed a decomposition model to quantify demographic, socioeconomic, maternal health, health insurance, neighborhood, and geographic effects. Hispanic children had the poorest dental health and lowest preventive dental care utilization, followed by Black then White children. The model explanatory variables accounted for 58% to 77% of the disparities in dental health and 89% to 100% of the disparities in preventive dental care. Socioeconomic status accounted for 71% of the gap in preventive dental care between Black children and White children and 55% of that between Hispanic children and White children. Maternal health, age, and marital status; neighborhood safety and social capital; and state of residence were relevant factors. Reducing US children's racial/ethnic dental health disparities-which are mostly socioeconomically driven-requires policies that recognize the multilevel pathways underlying them and the need for household- and neighborhood-level interventions.

Oral Health - ethnology

Dental Health Surveys - statistics & numerical data

Health Status Disparities

United States

Humans

Middle Aged

Child, Preschool

European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data

Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data

Male

Insurance Coverage - statistics & numerical data

Mothers - statistics & numerical data

Socioeconomic Factors

Insurance, Health - statistics & numerical data

African Americans - statistics & numerical data

Adult

Female

Child

Details

Title: Subtitle: Explaining racial/ethnic disparities in children's dental health: a decomposition analysis
Creators: Carol Cristina Guarnizo-Herreño - Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
George L Wehby
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: American journal of public health (1971), Vol.102(5), pp.859-866
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300548
PMID: 22420801
PMCID: PMC3402215
NLM abbreviation: Am J Public Health
ISSN: 0090-0036
eISSN: 1541-0048
Publisher: United States
Grant note: R01 DE020895 / NIDCR NIH HHS R03 DE022094 / NIDCR NIH HHS 1 R01 DE020895 / NIDCR NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 05/2012
Academic Unit: Preventive and Community Dentistry; Health Management and Policy; Economics; Public Policy Center (Archive)
Record Identifier: 9984063203302771

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