Socioeconomic status and oral health-related quality of life: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review observational studies assessing the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children, adolescents and adults.

METHODS

Electronic searches were performed in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, LILACS and Scopus databases for articles published up to September 2020. Two independent reviewers performed the search and critical appraisal of the studies. The inclusion criteria were observational studies that evaluated the effect of SES on the OHRQoL in all age groups using validated methods. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data were extracted for meta-analysis followed by a meta-regression analysis. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled calculate prevalence ratio (PR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each study.

RESULTS

The search strategy retrieved 6114 publications. Some 139 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Of those, 75 were included in the general meta-analysis they represented a total sample of 109 269 individuals. People of lower SES had worse OHRQoL (PR 1.30; 95% CI 1.26-1.35). In the meta-analyses of different subgroups, an association was found between low SES and worse OHRQoL in countries of all economic classifications, in all age groups and irrespective of the socioeconomic indicator used. A socioeconomic gradient in OHRQoL was also observed, in which the lower the individuals' socioeconomic position, the poorer their OHRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals of low SES had poorer OHRQoL, regardless of the country's economic classification, SES indicator and age group. Public policies aiming to reduce social inequalities are necessary for better OHRQoL throughout life.