Condiciones económicas asociadas con problemas de salud bucal en padres de familia de una institución educativa de Lima, Perú: estudio transversal

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the association between economic conditions and oral health problems among parents at an educational institution in Lima, Peru. Materials and methods: An observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted. The study population comprised 270 parents, of whom 159 were included through non-probability convenience sampling. Economic conditions were assessed using a 15-item questionnaire divided into three dimensions: income level, access to dental care, and expenditure on oral hygiene products. Oral health problems were evaluated using 18 items related to dental caries, periodontal problems, and gingival manifestations. Frequencies and percentages were calculated, and associations were examined using Spearman’s rho coefficient, with a significance level of 0.05. Results: High economic conditions were identified in 51.6% of participants, while 28.3% had low and 20.1% had medium economic conditions. The burden of oral health problems was moderate in 59.1%, high in 27.7%, and low in 13.2%. An inverse correlation was found between economic conditions and the overall burden of oral health problems (rho = ?0.594; p < 0.001). Inverse correlations were also found with caries-related problems (rho = ?0.577; p < 0.001), periodontal problems (rho = ?0.632; p < 0.001), and gingival manifestations (rho = ?0.547; p < 0.001). Conclusions: More favorable economic conditions were inversely associated with the burden of oral health problems. The strongest association was observed for periodontal problems, highlighting the relevance of economic conditions to oral health inequalities in the study population.