Geoinformation-Based Analysis of Oral Health Status Among Indigenous Young Adults.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to characterise the Xukuru do Ororubá Indigenous population in Pesqueira, Pernambuco, Brazil, in relation to the oral health status through geoinformation tools.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study, nested within a cohort study, was conducted in 2018. The study employed questionnaires and oral examinations and collected geographic coordinates using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices at the locations of Indigenous households, villages and socio-environmental regions, as well as at the health unit where Indigenous people received dental care. The primary outcome, caries experience, was assessed by the DMFT Index, with the mean score used for analysis. The descriptive analyses were presented using tables and maps. The spatial analysis was conducted using QGIS version 3.40.15.

Results: The Agreste socio-environmental region presented the most unfavourable indicators. There is a combination of a higher average number of untreated decayed teeth, a lower average number of filled teeth and a higher average number of lost teeth, a pattern consistent with late access to services and predominantly curative and non-tooth-preserving treatment. Inverse distance weighting maps indicate spatial gradients, with better oral health conditions near the centres and a progressive reduction in peripheral areas.

Conclusions: The application of geoinformation tools to data on the Xukuru do Ororubá Indigenous population has made it possible to identify inequalities in access to and the effectiveness of oral health actions. These inequalities indicate priorities that must be addressed by the oral health care network.