The Role of Area Deprivation in Explaining Ethnic Inequalities in Adult Oral Health in England

The circumstances of the area where people live may affect their health and ethnic minority groups are often overrepresented in deprived areas. This study explored ethnic inequalities in adult oral health and the contribution of area deprivation to explain such inequalities.

Data from 15667 adults across 8 ethnicities (White British, Irish, Black Caribbean, Black African, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese) in the Health Survey for England 2010/2011 were analysed. Oral health was indicated by having a non-functional dentition, poor self-rated oral health and oral impacts on daily activities. Survey logistic regression and the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method were used.

There were ethnic inequalities in the non-functional dentition, but not in self-rated oral health or oral impacts. Compared to White British adults (19.7%, 95% CI: 18.9, 20.6), a non-functional dentition was more common in Irish (33.1%, 95% CI: 25.9, 41.2) and less common in Black Caribbean (14.9%, 95% CI: 9.9, 21.7), Black African (6.9%, 95% CI: 3.9, 11.9), Indian (10.5%, 95% CI: 6.3, 17.2), Pakistani (7.2%, 95% CI: 4.5, 11.5), Bangladeshi (12.7%, 95% CI: 4.3, 32.3) and Chinese (2.2%, 95% CI: 0.6, 7.9) adults. In decomposition analysis, observed population characteristics explained over half of the ethnic inequalities in the non-functional dentition. Age, area deprivation and SEP were the main contributors, although results varied by ethnicity.

Ethnic inequalities in adult oral health varied according to oral health measure and ethnicity. Area deprivation and SEP contributed to, but did not fully, explain such inequalities.