Intersection of Gender, Religion, and Socio-economic Position in Relation to Untreated Oral Conditions - A Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate whether gender, religion, and socio-economic position (SEP) intersect to structure social inequalities in oral health among adults in Hyderabad.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Demographic details and SEP (based on poverty income ratio) were obtained. Clinical oral examination was assessed for untreated dental caries, bleeding gums, periodontal status, loss of attachment, and edentulism using WHO proforma 2013 among 264 study participants.

RESULTS

Clear inequalities in the four oral conditions were observed according to SEP. The odds of having each oral condition were lower among higher SEP groups. By Religion, Christians have 2.3 times higher odds of having untreated caries. Christians and Muslims have higher odds ( P = 0.02) for bleeding gums compared to Hindus. In addition to that, males showed lower odds of having bleeding gums than their female counterparts. Finally, oral conditions were more prevalent in older age groups compared to younger age group participants.

CONCLUSION

This study concluded that there is an acceptable intersection between demographic characteristics in predicting the untreated oral health condition.