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Optimising the information yield from a series of cross-sectional surveys: an example from Scotland
1Dental Health Services Research Unit, University of Dundee, UK.
Objective:
To optimise the information yield from a series of cross-sectional caries prevalence surveys by identifying population cohorts resampled in later surveys and thus to assess the likelihood of continued improvement in the dental health of 12-year-old children
Design:
A cohort perspective was applied to a series of cross-sectional caries prevalence surveys undertaken by the Scottish Health Boards' Dental Epidemiological Programme and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
Participants:
Scottish school children aged 5 to 15 years.
Outcome Measures:
Assessment of continued improvement in the dental health of 12-year-old children: predictions of future levels of dental health.
Results:
Results allowed age effect, period effect, and cohort effect to be assessed. By taking cohort information into account, in particular that related to recent curtailment in improvement in the caries experience of 5-year-old children, it appeared that the current downward trend in caries experience at 12-years may not continue in the short term.
Conclusions:
There are now sufficient national cross-sectional dental surveys of children to allow cohort analysis to be undertaken. Results indicate the likelihood of a continued deceleration in the previously observed rate of improvement in the dental health levels of Scottish 12-year-old children.