Association of Regional Inequality in 12-year-olds’ Decayed, Missing, or Filled Permanent Teeth in Fukuoka Prefecture with Community-level Socioeconomic Status

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  • OKABE Yuka
    Section of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University
  • TAKEUCHI Kenji
    Section of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University
  • FURUTA Michiko
    Section of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University
  • HIRASE Hisayoshi
    Fukuoka Association of School Dentists
  • MATSUDA Kouichi
    Fukuoka Association of School Dentists
  • SAKATA Hitoshi
    Fukuoka Association of School Dentists
  • SUGIHARA Eiji
    Fukuoka Association of School Dentists
  • YAMASHITA Yoshihisa
    Section of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University

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Other Title
  • 福岡県内12歳児一人平均う蝕経験歯数の地域差と社会経済状態との関連
  • フクオカ ケンナイ 12サイジ ヒトリ ヘイキンウショクケイケン ハスウ ノ チイキサ ト シャカイ ケイザイ ジョウタイ ト ノ カンレン

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Abstract

<p> The number of dental caries in school children is decreasing every year, but it is still high in Japan. Recently, it was reported that the social context, such as socioeconomic status, influences the development of dental caries. However, few studies have estimated caries-related regional inequality in school children or assessed the association between dental caries in school children and the community-level socioeconomic status. The purpose of this ecological study was to examine caries-related regional inequality and impact of the socioeconomic status on the risk of dental caries of 12-year-olds in municipalities in Fukuoka Prefecture. Data on 12-year-olds’ decayed, missing, or filled permanent teeth (DMFT), which indicates experience of dental caries affecting their permanent teeth, were obtained from the reports of school dental health examinations in 60 municipalities of Fukuoka Prefecture. Data on the community-level socioeconomic status in each municipality, which included the ratio of persons employed in the tertiary industry, unemployment rate, number of grocery stores per 100,000 residents, number of dental clinics per 100,000 residents, and population aging rate, were obtained from national statistical data. We applied stepwise multiple regression analysis to determine the association between 12-year-olds’ DMFT and the community-level socioeconomic status. The results of the analysis showed that the ratio of persons employed in the tertiary industry (p=0.007) and number of dental clinics per 100,000 residents (p=0.044) were associated with lower DMFT, whereas the number of grocery stores per 100,000 residents was associated with higher DMFT (p=0.010). This study suggests that there is regional inequality in 12-year-olds’ DMFT among municipalities in Fukuoka Prefecture, and there are significant effects of the community-level socioeconomic status on 12-year-olds’ DMFT in municipalities. Efforts of public health organizations in consideration of the community-level socioeconomic status are thought to be important to reduce regional inequality in oral health.</p>

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