Dental status among native and immigrant young Israeli adults

New immigrants, originating from different cultures, often demonstrate dental health, behavior and treatment levels, which are different to native born populations. Immigrants are often classified as 'high-risk' populations. The goals of this study included comparing caries prevalence leve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRefu'at ha-peh veha-shinayim (1993) Vol. 23; no. 1; p. 6
Main Authors Birnboim-Blau, G, Levin, L, Sgan-Cohen, H D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Israel 01.01.2006
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Attitude to Health
Dental Care - psychology
Dental Care - utilization
Dental Caries - ethnology
DMF Index
Educational Status
Emigration and Immigration
Employment
Family Characteristics
Humans
Israel - epidemiology
Prevalence
Smoking - epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
USSR - ethnology
USSR
Israel
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Summary:New immigrants, originating from different cultures, often demonstrate dental health, behavior and treatment levels, which are different to native born populations. Immigrants are often classified as 'high-risk' populations. The goals of this study included comparing caries prevalence levels and different modes of treatment and dental health behavior, among immigrants from the former USSR and Israeli born young adults. 581 young adults (average age 18 years) answered a questionnaire and were clinically examined. Socio-demographic variables were significantly different: number of siblings and years of schooling were higher among the Israeli born population; father's occupation was less professional among the immigrants. Untreated caries and lower father's occupation were significantly associated. Most immigrants reached the dentist's office only when they suffered pain, in contrast to the Israelis who were more regularly taken care of. Smoking was more prevalent among immigrants and significantly associated with caries levels. The caries prevalence among the Israelis was: DMFT = 4.7 +/- 4.13, D = 1.09 +/- 1.81, M = 0.11 +/- 0.37, F = 3.51 +/- 3.85, and among the immigrants: DMFT = 5.98 +/- 4.66, D = 2.78 +/- 2.77, M = 1.01 +/- 0.51, F = 2.70 +/- 3.22. These differences were statistically significant (p<0.005). Immigrants should be considered as a high risk group and demand a specific call for public health action.
ISSN:0792-9935