Assessing inequities in unmet oral care needs among adults in Sweden: An intersectional approach

Abstract

Objectives: The goal of the Swedish oral healthcare system is to achieve good oral health and equitable access to care for the entire population. However, considerable inequities in oral health and care are evident and occur across a range of social dimensions. This study uses an intersectional approach to examine complex inequities in unmet oral care needs among adults in Sweden over the period 2004-2021.

Methods: Data were obtained from 14 Health on Equal Terms surveys conducted during 2004-2021. The final sample was 129 473 individuals aged 26-84 years. Applying intersectional analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy, inequities in unmet oral care needs were estimated across 48 intersectional strata defined by gender, age, educational level, individual disposable income and immigrant status.

Results: A high risk of unmet oral care needs was found among strata consisting of immigrants and those with low income. However, being an immigrant and/or having a low income did not universally entail a high risk but varied by the social position along other axes, particularly age and education. The discriminatory accuracy was moderate.

Conclusion: Groups with certain social disadvantages are highly heterogeneous themselves. An intersectionality approach is important to prevent the risk of stigmatizing large heterogenous groups while failing to identify the most vulnerable strata. The discriminatory accuracy analysis suggested that further policy and/or interventions may be the most effective if approaching the whole population, combined with selected targeted interventions directed at the most disadvantaged social strata.

Keywords: Sweden; discriminatory accuracy; intersectionality; oral health care; social inequities; unmet oral care needs.