A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Oral Health Disparities Among the Indigenous Paediatric Population

Ankita Verma; Harsh Priyank; Renuka P; Minti Kumari; Nishath Sayed Abdul; Sahana Shivakumar

doi:10.7759/cureus.41673

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Oral Health Disparities Among the Indigenous Paediatric Population

Cureus. 2023 Jul 10;15(7):e41673. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41673. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Authors

Ankita Verma¹, Harsh Priyank², Renuka P³, Minti Kumari⁴, Nishath Sayed Abdul⁵, Sahana Shivakumar⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Hazaribag College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Ranchi, IND.
² Department of Conservative, Endodontics and Aesthetic Dentistry, Dental Institute Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, IND.
³ Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Government Dental College, Dibrugarh, IND.
⁴ Department of Public Health Dentistry, Patna Dental College and Hospital, Patna, IND.
⁵ Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Oral Diagnostic Sciences, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, SAU.
⁶ Department of Public Health Dentistry, People's College of Dental Science and Research Center, Bhopal, IND.

Abstract

There is a knowledge gap in the literature regarding oral health disparities (OHD) in minority and indigenous (IG) paediatric cohorts that needs to be addressed. Disparities in oral health among children are a pressing concern, highlighting inequities in access to dental care and meeting needs. The current systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the prevailing understanding of OHD in the minority and IG strata. A meticulous search strategy was formulated by a team of reviewers to identify pertinent studies from databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar and EMBASE. Data extraction and article selection strictly adhered to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was employed to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies included. Review Manager version 5.4 was used to synthesise quantitative data. A total of five cross-sectional studies were included in the final analysis. The findings consistently demonstrated the existence of racial and socioeconomic disparities in oral health across varying age groups and geographical locations in the defined population. Significant disparities in oral health outcomes were observed between IG and non-IG populations, with IG and minority groups exhibiting a heightened vulnerability to oral health challenges. Through a meta-analysis of the compiled data, a statistically significant association was established between children (being a member of a minority group) and unmet oral health needs. Socioeconomic status (SES) and maternal education were factors that showed a significant impact on oral health disparity. All studies were graded to be of the low-risk category based on the NOS risk of bias tool. This review successfully identified several influential factors contributing to oral health disparities, such as cultural practices, dietary patterns and access to oral healthcare services. Additionally, discernible differences in oral health status were evident between IG and non-IG children, with IG children enduring a greater burden of oral health difficulties. These findings underscore the imperative for targeted interventions and policy measures aimed at addressing the specific oral health needs of minority and IG paediatric populations, with the overarching goal of mitigating the existing disparities.

Keywords: childhood; dental caries; ethnic disparities; indigenous; oral health; oral health disparities.

Publication types

Review