Systematic Review of Intervention Studies Aiming at Reducing Inequality in Dental Caries among Children

Anqi Shen, Eduardo Bernabé and Wael Sabbah
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Anqi Shen: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Beijing Stomatology Hospital, Capital Medical University, 4th Tiantanxili, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100050, China
Eduardo Bernabé: Dental Public Health Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London SE5 9RS, UK
Wael Sabbah: Dental Public Health Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London SE5 9RS, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: (1) Background: The objective is to systematically review the evidence on intervention programs aiming at reducing inequality in dental caries among children. (2) Methods: Two independent investigators searched MEDLINE, Cochrane library, and Ovid up to December 2020 to identify intervention studies assessing the impact on socioeconomic inequalities in dental caries among children. The interventions included any health promotion/preventive intervention aiming at reducing caries among children across different socioeconomic groups. Comparison groups included children with alternative or no intervention. Cochrane criteria were used to assess interventional studies for risk of bias. (3) Results: After removal of duplicate studies, 1235 articles were retained. Out of 43 relevant papers, 13 articles were identified and used in qualitative synthesis, and reported quantifiable outcomes. The included studies varied in measurements of interventions, sample size, age groups, and follow-up time. Five studies assessed oral health promotion or health-education, four assessed topical fluorides, and four assessed water fluoridation. Interventions targeting the whole population showed a consistent reduction of socioeconomic inequalities in dental caries among children. (4) Conclusion: The quality of included papers was moderate. High heterogeneity did not allow aggregation of the findings. The overall findings suggest that whole population interventions such as water fluoridation are more likely to reduce inequalities in children’s caries than target population and individual interventions.

Keywords: child; dental caries; inequalities; socioeconomic factors; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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