The Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Race-Ethnicity on Dental Health
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Date
2007
Authors
Hudson, Kenneth
Ramberg, Zach
Stockard, Jean
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Abstract
This article examines the impact of race-ethnicity on dental
health and the extent to which socioeconomic status (SES), routine dental
care, and health-related behaviors mediate this relationship. The data used
in this analysis are from the National Education and Health Survey III, a
large national data set that incorporated professional dental examinations
and personal interviews. Results indicate that both race-ethnicity and SES
are independently and significantly related to the number of decayed and
missing tooth surfaces observed in dental examinations. The authors find
that Blacks are consistently the group most likely to have decayed and
missing teeth, followed by Mexican Americans. Although a portion of the
effects of race-ethnicity are mediated by SES, a portion of the effects of SES
are mediated by smoking, sugar consumption, and dental care. The direct
effects of both race-ethnicity and SES are significant, even when control-
ling for the effects of health-related behaviors and other key demographic
factors. The effects of race-ethnicity and SES also persist when the sample
is restricted to specific income and race-ethnicity groups.
Description
19 pages
Keywords
SES, Oral Healh, Dental Health, Race-ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status
Citation
Hudson, K., Stockard, J., & Ramberg, Z. (2007). The impact of Socioeconomics Status and Race-Ethnicity on Dental Health. Sociological Perspectives, 50(1), 7- 25. https://doi.org/10.1525/sop.2007.50.1.7