Association between cash transfer programs and oral health—A scoping review

Abstract

Objectives: The aims of this scoping review are to assess the literature investigating the association between cash transfer programs and oral health; and to identify the theoretical frameworks applied to guide this literature. Methods: A search strategy to identify studies published until December 2020 was applied to a range of databases. Observational and interventional studies that had cash transfer programs as exposure/intervention and oral health as outcome were considered. Dental health services utilization, as well as access to dental health services, were considered secondary outcomes. Cash transfer programs were considered programs based on conditional or unconditional cash transfer carried out as part of national social protection schemes, and interventional studies on the impact of cash transfer on oral health were also considered eligible. Data charting was performed in two steps and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Of 6344 articles identified, four articles were included. These articles investigated three different conditional cash transfer programs, Universal Child Allowance (Argentina), Bolsa Família (Brazil) and Family Rewards (USA). Inconsistencies were identified in findings on the effect of conditional cash transfer programs on the prevalence of dental caries and these differences may be due to the comparison group selected for each study. Concerning dental visits, the results point in different directions, which makes these findings still inconclusive. No explicit theoretical framework was reported in the articles to guide the expected association. Conclusion: Although cash transfers play an important role in improving certain health outcomes, there is limited evidence to suggest an association between cash transfers and oral health.

Cobertura do Programa Bolsa Família e fatores associados à realização de procedimentos odontológicos no Brasil, entre 2007 e 2011: um estudo ecológico

“…Adicionalmente, o perfil do estudo em nível municipal não permite inferências em nível individual sem incorrer em falácia ecológica. Por fim, não há referencial teórico específico sobre os impactos de programas de transferência de renda, nem em saúde bucal, nem em uso de serviços 11 . Dessa forma, a escolha de variáveis de ajuste foi realizada com base em potenciais fatores associados ao uso de serviços em nível individual.…”

“…De forma semelhante, esses programas poderiam influenciar o uso do serviço odontológico, mesmo que tal atendimento não faça parte das condicionalidades exigidas por alguns programas, como no caso do Bolsa Família. Evidência recente sobre o efeito de programas de transferência de renda é inconclusiva, no entanto, indica que o uso de serviços odontológico parece não aumentar 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 .…”