Decomposition of economic inequalities in dental caries among Iranian schoolchildren.

ABSTRACT: Monitoring social inequalities in dental caries is crucial for establishing priorities in oral health systems. This study aimed to assess economic inequalities in dental caries and its contributing factors among Iranian schoolchildren. Data were obtained from the first phase of the Shahroud Schoolchildren Eye Cohort Study in 2015. A total of 4992 children aged 6-12 years old were included in the analysis. Dental examinations were conducted following the diagnostic methods and standards of the Oral Health Examination Survey, as recommended by the World Health Organization. The concentration index (C) was utilized to assess economic inequalities in dental caries. Additionally, the decomposition of C was employed to explain the determinants of the measured inequalities. In total, 71.4% of the

SUBMITTER: Khoramrooz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11341040 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature