A Population Case Study of Structural Racism in Dental Services Utilization in Brazil and Colombia.

IF 2 Q2 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

JDR Clinical & Translational Research Pub Date : 2026-07-01 Epub Date: 2025-09-15 DOI:10.1177/23800844251368892

R A Bomfim, R K Celeste, M L Macedo, L A Sánchez-Alfaro, M K Navarro-Ramírez, C C Guarnizo-Herreño

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction: Racial inequalities are expressions of racism, a phenomenon that is pervasive in different countries in Latin America and reinforced by social structure. This research analyzed the intersections between race and income in dental care utilization in Brazil and Colombia.

Methods: Two nationwide Brazilian and Colombian population oral health surveys were used, as conducted in 2010 and 2014, respectively. The samples included individuals from different age groups. Three outcomes were considered: 1) Ever been to a dentist (yes/no)? 2) Have you visited a dentist in <1 y (yes/no)? 3) Last dental visit for urgent treatment (yes/no)? The main explanatory variables were race and income (the per capita minimum wage). Relative excess risk due to interaction and synergy index were calculated to verify interactions between race and income, adjusted for age and sex. Specific age group analyses were carried out for both countries to assess pervasive racial inequities.

Results: Upper-income White persons in Brazil (odds ratio, 3.61; 95% CI, 3.20 to 4.07) and Colombia (odds ratio, 2.54; 95% CI, 2.21 to 3.07) had higher odds of not using urgent dental services than lower-income Black persons and lower-income Afro-Colombians. Relative excess risk due to interaction and synergy index showed synergistic interactions in both countries.

Conclusion: Compounded racial and income-related disparities in dental care utilization were observed in Brazil and Colombia, which may reflect underlying structural inequities. Public policies need to consider the complex intersections between socioeconomic conditions affecting underprivileged racial groups in Latin America.Knowledge Transfer Statement:This study highlights how structural racism and socioeconomic disparities intersect to limit dental care access in Brazil and Colombia, emphasizing the need for public policies addressing racial and economic inequities in oral health.

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巴西和哥伦比亚牙科服务利用中的结构性种族主义人口案例研究。

引言：种族不平等是种族主义的表现形式，这种现象在拉丁美洲的不同国家普遍存在，并因社会结构而得到加强。本研究分析了种族和收入之间的交集在巴西和哥伦比亚的牙科保健利用。方法：分别于2010年和2014年在巴西和哥伦比亚进行两次全国人口口腔健康调查。这些样本包括来自不同年龄组的人。考虑了三个结果：1)是否看过牙医（是/否）？结果：巴西（优势比3.61;95% CI 3.20 ~ 4.07）和哥伦比亚（优势比2.54;95% CI 2.21 ~ 3.07）的高收入白人不使用紧急牙科服务的几率高于低收入黑人和低收入非裔哥伦比亚人。相互作用的相对超额风险与协同作用指数在两国均表现出协同作用。结论：在巴西和哥伦比亚观察到与牙科保健利用有关的复合种族和收入差异，这可能反映了潜在的结构性不平等。公共政策需要考虑影响拉丁美洲贫困种族群体的社会经济条件之间复杂的交叉点。知识转移声明：本研究强调了结构性种族主义和社会经济差异如何交叉限制了巴西和哥伦比亚的牙科保健机会，强调需要制定公共政策来解决口腔健康方面的种族和经济不平等问题。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

JDR Clinical & Translational Research DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE-

CiteScore

6.20

自引率

6.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： JDR Clinical & Translational Research seeks to publish the highest quality research articles on clinical and translational research including all of the dental specialties and implantology. Examples include behavioral sciences, cariology, oral & pharyngeal cancer, disease diagnostics, evidence based health care delivery, human genetics, health services research, periodontal diseases, oral medicine, radiology, and pathology. The JDR Clinical & Translational Research expands on its research content by including high-impact health care and global oral health policy statements and systematic reviews of clinical concepts affecting clinical practice. Unique to the JDR Clinical & Translational Research are advances in clinical and translational medicine articles created to focus on research with an immediate potential to affect clinical therapy outcomes.