[Socioeconomic inequalities in oral health: factors associated with tooth brushing frequency among Nicaraguan schoolchildren]. / Desigualdades socioeconómicas en salud bucal: factores asociados a la frecuencia de cepillado dental en escolares nicaragüenses.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To identify the association between tooth brushing frequency and variables of socioeconomic position in Nicaraguan schoolchildren. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was undertaken in 1353 schoolchildren ages 6 to 12 randomly selected from 25 elementary schools in Leon, Nicaragua. Using a questionnaire addressed to mothers, sociodemographic, socioeconomic and behavioral variables were collected. The dependent variable was tooth brushing frequency, which was dichotomized in 0 "at least one 7 times/week" and 1 "7 or more times/week". A multivariate analysis was carried out with logistic regression in STATA 9. RESULTS: The average age of child participants was 8.99 +/- 2.00 years and 49.7% were women. In the final model, older age (OR = 2.04), female sex (OR = 1.39) and having a mother with positive attitudes toward oral health (OR = 2.5) were positively associated with the tooth brushing frequency (p < 0.05). Larger family size (OR = 0.89) and having low socioeconomic status (1st quartile; OR = 0.54, 2nd quartile; OR = 0.62, 3rd quartile; OR = 0.67) showed a negative relationship with the tooth brushing frequency. To have had at least one preventive dental visit in the previous year was positively associated (p < 0.10) with tooth brushing frequency. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that existence of indicators of socioeconomic inequalities exist even within less developed countries, and thus emphasize the need to target health promotion programs to vulnerable socioeconomic groups.