Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Dental Health, Caries Perception and Sense of Discrimination among Migrants and Refugees in Europe: Results from the Mig-HealthCare Project

Pania Karnaki, Konstantinos Katsas, Dimitrios V. Diamantis, Elena Riza, Maya Simona Rosen, Μαρία Αντωνιάδου, Alejandro Gil-Salmerón, Igor Grabovac, Athena Linou

Applied Sciences · 2022

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Summary

This cross-sectional survey of migrants and refugees across 10 European countries examined dental health determinants and healthcare access barriers. Approximately half the sample reported poor dental condition, with 22% having never visited a dentist. The study found that higher education, better mental and general health, legal immigration status, and female gender were associated with improved dental health outcomes, whilst age and experiences of discrimination correlated with poorer dental conditions.

UK applicability

Findings are likely relevant to UK migrant and refugee populations facing similar healthcare access barriers and discrimination. However, differences in the UK's National Health Service structure, dental care eligibility policies for migrants, and demographic composition of migrant communities may necessitate country-specific research to validate these associations in the UK context.

Key measures

Self-perceived dental health status; prevalence of caries; last visit to dentist; anticipated access to dental health services; daily teeth-brushing frequency; quality of life scores; general and mental health scores; discrimination experiences; legal immigration status; educational level; age; gender; presence of children

Outcomes reported

The study measured self-perceived dental health, prevalence of dental caries, frequency of dental visits, and anticipated access to dental services among migrant and refugee populations. It examined associations between dental health outcomes and factors including mental health status, legal immigration status, discrimination experiences, education level, and demographic characteristics.

Theme
Policy, governance & rights
Subject
Food security & global nutrition
Study type
Research
Study design
Cross-sectional observational study
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Europe
System type
Human clinical
DOI
10.3390/app12189294
Catalogue ID
SNmoh0dywq-7n9mud

Topic tags

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