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Characterizing Socioeconomic Inequalities in Professionally Applied Topical Fluoride Treatment Courses in Schoolchildren from a Developing Country

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Abstract

The objective of the present study was to characterize socioeconomic inequalities in the patterns of professionally applied topical fluoride (PATF) in Mexican schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 3029 Mexican schoolchildren. A questionnaire was administered to caregivers to determine sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables. The dependent variable was prevalence of PATF, coded as 0 = without PATF and 1 = with PATF, at any point in life, and separately, in the previous year. Various indicators of socioeconomic position were included. Logistic regression was used in the final multivariate analysis. The prevalence of PATF any time in life was 33.8%, while in the previous year it was 11.4%. The variables associated (p < 0.05) with PATF any time in life were child's older age (OR = 1.12), older age when tooth brushing started (OR = 1.57), higher brushing frequency (OR = 1.60), having health insurance [public (OR = 1.61) or private (OR = 1.45)], if family owned a car (OR = 1.29) and better socioeconomic position [parents' education, second (OR = 1.48) and third (OR = 1.75) tertile]. For PATF in the previous year, the variables associated were older age of mother (OR = 1.03), older age when tooth brushing started (OR = 1.99), higher brushing frequency (OR = 1.68), having health insurance [public (OR = 1.62)] and better socioeconomic position (parents' education, second (OR = 1.57) and third (OR = 1.97) tertile). This study suggests the existence of socioeconomic inequalities in PATF, manifested through socioeconomic position, access to health insurance and household having a car. Identifying and addressing PATF inequalities would improve oral health in the child population.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

No external grant funding supported the present research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Social Security and Services for Government Workers, Culiacan, Mexico

    Juan José Villalobos-Rodelo

  2. School of Dentistry at Autonomous, University of Sinaloa, Culiacan, Mexico

    Juan José Villalobos-Rodelo

  3. Academic Area of Dentistry of Health Sciences Institute at Autonomous University of Hidalgo State, Pachuca, Mexico

    Salvador Eduardo Lucas-Rincón, Sandra Isabel Jimenez-Gayosso, Cesar Tadeo Hernández-Martínez, María de Lourdes Márquez-Corona, América Patricia Pontigo-Loyola & Carlo Eduardo Medina-Solís

  4. Clinic of Dental Specialties of the General Hospital of Pachuca, Campus Arista of the Ministry of Health of Hidalgo, Pachuca, Mexico

    Salvador Eduardo Lucas-Rincón

  5. Doctoral Program in Dental Sciences at the School of Dentistry, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

    Sandra Isabel Jimenez-Gayosso & Cesar Tadeo Hernández-Martínez

  6. Advanced Studies and Research Center in Dentistry “Dr. Keisaburo Miyata” of Faculty of Dentistry At Autonomous, University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Mexico

    Carlo Eduardo Medina-Solís

  7. Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, USA

    Gerardo Maupomé

  8. Indiana University Network Science Institute, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Gerardo Maupomé

  9. Avenida del Álamo # 204, Fraccionamiento Paseo de s. Colonia Santiago Tlapacoya, 42113, Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico

    Carlo Eduardo Medina-Solís

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  1. Juan José Villalobos-Rodelo
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  2. Salvador Eduardo Lucas-Rincón
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  7. Carlo Eduardo Medina-Solís
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Correspondence to Carlo Eduardo Medina-Solís.

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Villalobos-Rodelo, J.J., Lucas-Rincón, S.E., Jimenez-Gayosso, S.I. et al. Characterizing Socioeconomic Inequalities in Professionally Applied Topical Fluoride Treatment Courses in Schoolchildren from a Developing Country. J Immigrant Minority Health 24, 351–359 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01171-1

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