OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of dental caries among an urban population. METHODS: This study was conducted among 2000 people 15-40 years of age living in Kurdistan, Iran in 2015. Using a questionnaire, data were collected by 4 trained dental students. The dependent variable was the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF) index. Using principal component analysis, the socioeconomic status (SES) of families was determined based on their household assets. Inequality was measured using the concentration index; in addition, the Oaxaca analytical method was used to determine the contribution of various determinants to the observed inequality. RESULTS: The concentration index for poor scores on the DMF index was -0.32 (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.40 to -0.36); thus, poor DMF indices had a greater concentration in groups with a low SES (p<0.001). Decomposition analysis showed that the mean prevalence of a poor DMF index was 43.7% (95% CI, 40.4 to 46.9%) in the least privileged group and 14.4% (95% CI, 9.5 to 9.2%) in the most privileged group. It was found that 85.8% of the gap observed between these groups was due to differences in sex, parents' education, and the district of residence. A poor DMF index was less prevalent among people with higher SES than among those with lower SES (odds ratio, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.52). CONCLUSIONS: An alarming degree of SES inequality in oral health status was found in the studied community. Hence, it is suggested that inequalities in oral health status be reduced via adopting appropriate policies such as the delivery of oral health services to poorer groups and covering such services in insurance programs.
Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Dental Caries ; DMF Index ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Health Equity ; Humans ; Insurance ; Iran* ; Methods ; Oral Health* ; Prevalence ; Principal Component Analysis ; Social Class ; Socioeconomic Factors* ; Students, Dental ; Urban Population

OBJECTIVES: The worldwide incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) has increased in recent decades. In this study, we investigated the socioeconomic inequalities associated with MetS and its components in a sample of the Iranian Kurdish population. METHODS: We used data from 3,996 participants, aged 35 years to 70 years, from the baseline phase of the Dehgolan Prospective Cohort Study (February 2018 to March 2019). The concentration index and concentration curve were used to measure inequality and the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method was used to examine the contribution of various determinants to the observed socioeconomic inequality in MetS and its components. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS was 34.44% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.97 to 35.93). The prevalence of MetS was 26.18% for those in the highest socioeconomic status (SES), compared with 40.51% for participants in the lowest SES. There was a significant negative concentration index for MetS (C=-0.13; 95% CI, -0.16 to -0.09), indicating a concentration of MetS among participants with a lower SES. The most prevalent component was abdominal obesity (59.14%) with a significant negative concentration index (C=-0.21; 95% CI, -0.25 to -0.18). According to decomposition analysis, age, gender, and education were the highest contributing factors to inequality in MetS and its components. CONCLUSIONS This study showed socioeconomic inequality in MetS. People with a low SES were more likely to have MetS. Therefore, policymakers and health managers need to develop appropriate strategies to reduce these inequalities in MetS across age groups, genders, and education levels, especially among women and the elderly.

PURPOSE: The Pediatric Lower Urinary Tract Scoring System (PLUTSS) is a standardized questionnaire used for screening and evaluation of the response of children with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) to therapy. We presumed that adding the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) and bladder volume wall index (BVWI) to the PLUTSS would increase its validity in the detection of children with LUTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-two children aged 5 to 15 years with LUTS were enrolled in the study. Seventy-two healthy, age-matched children without urinary complaints were considered as controls. The PLUTSS and CBCL were filled out for all children. Sonography was performed to measure BVWI. Chi-square test and likelihood ratio were used to compare frequencies, receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the correlation, and Cohen's kappa was used to measure the agreement between variables. p-values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Behavior problems were significantly more common in children with LUTS than in healthy children (p<0.05). The frequency of thick, thin, and normal BVWIs did not differ significantly in the two groups (p>0.05). ROC analysis showed that there was no correlation between PLUTSS, CBCL, and BVWI in either the LUTS subgroup or in the controls (p>0.05). The PLUTSS had the highest sensitivity and specificity, and adding the two other tests decreased its validity for the diagnosis of children with LUTS. CONCLUSIONS: The PLUTSS by itself was the best predictor of LUTS. The CBCL and BVWI were not helpful in making a diagnosis; however, the CBCL was useful in the detection of behavior problems in children with non-monosymptomatic enuresis.
Aged ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Enuresis ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Mass Screening ; Pediatrics ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract