Abstract
Objective: To describe the experience and prevalence of dental caries in schoolchildren aged 6–12 years belonging to agricultural manual worker households. Material and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in two groups of schoolchildren: One considered “children of agricultural worker migrant parents” (n = 157) and the other “children of agricultural worker non-migrant parents” (n = 164). Epidemiological indices for dental caries were calculated for primary (dmft) and permanent (DMFT) dentitions, and compared in terms of age, sex, and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (SOHI). Two binary logistic regression models for caries prevalence in primary and permanent dentitions were generated in Stata. Results: For primary dentition, we observed the following dmft index: Non-migrants = 1.73 ± 2.18 vs. migrants = 1.68 ± 2.14. Additionally, we recorded the following caries prevalence: Non-migrants = 59.1% vs. migrants = 51.3%. For permanent dentition, we observed the following DMFT index: Non-migrants = 0.32 ± 0.81 vs. migrants = 0.29 ± 0.95. Further, we recorded the following caries prevalence: Non-migrants = 17.6% vs. migrants = 12.8%. No differences were observed for either dentition (p > 0.05) in caries indices and their components or in caries prevalence. When both caries indices (dmft and DMFT) were combined, the non-migrant group had a higher level of caries experience than the migrant group (p < 0.05). No relationship (p > 0.05) with migrant status was observed in either multivariate models of caries prevalence. However, age did exhibit an association (p < 0.05) with caries. Only the plaque component of SOHI was associated (p < 0.05) with caries in permanent dentition. Conclusions: Although over half of school children from agricultural manual worker households had caries in either or both dentitions and a considerable proportion were untreated lesions, the prevalence levels were somewhat lower than other reports from Mexico in similar age groups. No statistically significant differences were found in caries experience or prevalence in either dentition between non-migrant and migrant groups.
Highlights
The oral health of the world’s population has not improved in recent decades, despite certain nuances in its distribution, and oral conditions continue to be a major challenge for health systems
Three hundred and twenty-one schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years were included in the study; the mean age was 8.98 ± 1.95 and 53% were girls
Using the Kruskal–Wallis test, we found a significant difference in the dmft distribution across age in the non-migrant group (p = 0.0115), but not in the migrant group (p = 0.2556)
Summary
The oral health of the world’s population has not improved in recent decades, despite certain nuances in its distribution, and oral conditions continue to be a major challenge for health systems. The cumulative burden of oral conditions increased dramatically between 1990 and 2015: The number of people with untreated oral conditions increased from 2.5 billion in 1990 to 3.5 billion in 2015 [1] Dental caries has both a high prevalence and incidence, mainly in those with a socioeconomic disadvantage, and continues to be a serious global health problem [2]. Mexican migrant agricultural workers are one of the poorest and most marginalized social groups in the country: Living conditions and health risks are precarious, and they lack secure access to public health services. Such limitations translate into a greater risk for poverty, nutritional deficiencies, and diseases [13]. These conditions are similar to situations in other parts of the world for this type of worker [14]
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