TY - JOUR
T1 - The Contribution of Social and Environmental Factors to Race Differences in Dental Services Use
AU - Eisen, Colby H.
AU - Bowie, Janice V.
AU - Gaskin, Darrell J.
AU - LaVeist, Thomas A.
AU - Thorpe, Roland J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by grant# P60MD000214 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and a grant from Pfizer, Inc. This paper represents the first author’s Senior Honors Thesis in Public Health Studies while attending the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, The New York Academy of Medicine.
PY - 2015/6/5
Y1 - 2015/6/5
N2 - Dental services use is a public health issue that varies by race. African Americans are less likely than whites to make use of these services. While several explanations exist, little is known about the role of segregation in understanding this race difference. Most research does not account for the confounding of race, socioeconomic status, and segregation. Using cross-sectional data from the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities Study, we examined the relationship between race and dental services use. Our primary outcome of interest was dental services use within 2 years. Our main independent variable was self-identified race. Of the 1408 study participants, 59.3 % were African American. More African Americans used dental services within 2 years than whites. After adjusting for age, gender, marital status, income, education, insurance, self-rated health, and number of comorbidities, African Americans had greater odds of having used services (odds ratio = 1.48, 95 % confidence interval 1.16, 1.89) within 2 years. Within this low-income racially integrated sample, African Americans participated in dental services more than whites. Place of living is an important factor to consider when seeking to understand race differences in dental service use.
AB - Dental services use is a public health issue that varies by race. African Americans are less likely than whites to make use of these services. While several explanations exist, little is known about the role of segregation in understanding this race difference. Most research does not account for the confounding of race, socioeconomic status, and segregation. Using cross-sectional data from the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities Study, we examined the relationship between race and dental services use. Our primary outcome of interest was dental services use within 2 years. Our main independent variable was self-identified race. Of the 1408 study participants, 59.3 % were African American. More African Americans used dental services within 2 years than whites. After adjusting for age, gender, marital status, income, education, insurance, self-rated health, and number of comorbidities, African Americans had greater odds of having used services (odds ratio = 1.48, 95 % confidence interval 1.16, 1.89) within 2 years. Within this low-income racially integrated sample, African Americans participated in dental services more than whites. Place of living is an important factor to consider when seeking to understand race differences in dental service use.
KW - African Americans
KW - Dental care
KW - Health status disparities
KW - Healthcare disparities
KW - Minority groups
KW - Oral health
KW - Social environment
KW - Vulnerable populations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84930377549&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84930377549&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11524-015-9938-3
DO - 10.1007/s11524-015-9938-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 25680951
AN - SCOPUS:84930377549
SN - 1099-3460
VL - 92
SP - 415
EP - 421
JO - Journal of Urban Health
JF - Journal of Urban Health
IS - 3
ER -