Yonsei University Researchers Discuss Research in Epidemiology (Did the Expansion of Insurance Coverage for Oral Health Reduce Self-reported Oral Health Inequalities in Korea? Results of Repeated Cross-Sectional Analysis, 2007-2015)

2020 DEC 21 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- New research on epidemiology is the subject of a new report. According to news reporting originating from Wonju, South Korea, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “In 2009, the South Korean government expanded universal health insurance to include oral health services. In the present study, we sought to examine whether improved access resulted in a reduction in income-based self-reported oral health inequalities.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Yonsei University: “We analyzed repeated cross-sectional data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) waves IV through VI (2007-2015). We analyzed self-reported oral health status among 68,431 subjects. Changes in oral health inequalities across four income levels (low, middle-low, middle-high, and high) were assessed with the Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and the Relative Index of Inequality (RII). The average oral health status of children and adolescents improved the most over the observation period. The absolute magnitude of oral health inequalities (measured by the SII) improved for most groups, with the notable exception of young male adults. By contrast, the ratio of poor oral health between high- and low-income groups (measured by the RII) changed little over time, indicating that relative inequalities remained resistant to change.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “The expansion of dental health insurance may not be sufficient to move the needle on self-reported oral health inequalities among adults.”

For more information on this research see: Did the Expansion of Insurance Coverage for Oral Health Reduce Self-reported Oral Health Inequalities in Korea? Results of Repeated Cross-Sectional Analysis, 2007-2015. Journal of Epidemiology, 2020,30(12):537-541. (Journal of Epidemiology - http://jeaweb.jp/english/journal/index.html). The publisher for Journal of Epidemiology is Japan Epidemiological Association.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20190119.

Our news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Nam-Hee Kim, Department of Dental Hygiene, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Ichiro Kawachi. Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.