Demographic and geographic variations of oral health among African Americans based on NHANES III

As efforts continue to improve the health of all US citizens, oral health must not be overlooked. Oral health is an integral part of overall health status and oral diseases are among the most prevalent of all health problems.

To describe the oral health status and oral health behaviors of African Americans.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) data set was used to examine a range of oral health indicators of African Americans with specific attention to demographic and geographic factors. The original data set consisted of 20,050 subjects, gathered through the use of complex, multi-stage, stratified and clustered sampling techniques. Only African Americans were included in this study which resulted in a sample of 5,616. Statistical analysis was conducted to allow the proper modeling of the complex, stratified, multistage survey design and sample weights of NHANES III.

Sixty-two percent of respondents indicated that they only visit the dentist when needed and had no regular visitation schedule. Dental health was worse for those individuals who were poor, unemployed, and uninsured. Regional differences in dental care appeared with individuals living in the south reporting poorer dental health.

The findings from this study are useful for identifying sociodemographic and geographic factors related to oral health status. The insights gained from this study illustrate the need for tailoring oral health promotion programmes and services to specific groups within the African American community because service utilisation and response patterns and perceptions may be different.