Socioeconomic status and oral health‐related quality of life: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Objectives To systematically review observational studies assessing the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children, adolescents and adults. Methods Electronic searches were performed in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, LILACS and Scopus databases for articles published up to September 2020. Two independent reviewers performed the search and critical appraisal of the studies. The inclusion criteria were observational studies that evaluated the effect of SES on the OHRQoL in all age groups using validated methods. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale. Data were extracted for meta‐analysis followed by a meta‐regression analysis. A random‐effects model was used to estimate the pooled calculate prevalence ratio (PR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each study. Results The search strategy retrieved 6114 publications. Some 139 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Of those, 75 were included in the general meta‐analysis they represented a total sample of 109 269 individuals. People of lower SES had worse OHRQoL (PR 1.30; 95% CI 1.26‐1.35). In the meta‐analyses of different subgroups, an association was found between low SES and worse OHRQoL in countries of all economic classifications, in all age groups and irrespective of the socioeconomic indicator used. A socioeconomic gradient in OHRQoL was also observed, in which the lower the individuals' socioeconomic position, the poorer their OHRQoL. Conclusions Individuals of low SES had poorer OHRQoL, regardless of the country's economic classification, SES indicator and age group. Public policies aiming to reduce social inequalities are necessary for better OHRQoL throughout life.

Lifestyle Behaviors and Quality of Life among Older Adults after the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hubei China

“…Demographic characteristics included age, gender (male/female), marital status (single/married/divorced or widowed), living situation (alone/with others such as a spouse, partner or children) and three socioeconomic status (SES) related variables [22], which included educational level (primary school or below/middle or high school/college or above), professional status (unemployed/pensioner or retired/employed), and economic situation (below average/average/above average). Body weight and height were also collected for calculating the body mass index (BMI, body weight (kg)/body height squared (m 2 )).…”

“…Socioeconomic status (SES), including educational level, professional status, and economic situation, have been demonstrated to be important predictors for physical activity, diet, preventive behaviors and QoL in the general population, respectively [16][17][18][19]. For example, many studies have reported positive associations with adequate physical activity, healthy eating and performing preventive behaviors with high economic status during the COVID-19 pandemic [12,[20][21][22].…”

“…In addition, a recent systematic review indicated that low education levels, unemployment status, and low economic situation correlated with poorer QoL [22]. However, the moderating effects of SES on the association between lifestyle behaviors and QoL among older adults are still unknown.…”

“…This deserves further examination and can help to develop tailored strategies to enhance the e cacy of an intervention to improve QoL of the elderly. This can be achieved using PA, healthy diet and preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak and future pandemics [22].…”

Dental Restrictions to Clinical Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian Perspective

“…This trend is likely to have occurred for adult dental services as well. It raises ethical implications in regard to oral health inequity, considering lower socioeconomic status is associated with worse oral health-related quality of life in countries globally of all economic classifications (Knorst et al 2020).…”