Potencial influência do capital social na saúde bucal: um estudo das perdas dentárias em adultos

Abstract

Social capital has been investigated over Public Health field as a determinant factor on health-disease process. However, few studies addressed the issue of social capital and oral health to date. Objectives: (i) to verify, through a systematic review, the possible association between social capital/correlated concepts and oral health outcomes; (ii) to test the possible association between social capital and tooth loss in 35-44 adults living in the surrounding area of Belo Horizonte city (urban area), Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: this cross-sectional exploratory study analyzed data from 1,013 adults, residents of eight municipalities of Belo Horizonte surrounding area. Social capital was measured by eight indicators: group membership, number of close friends, got together with people, community activities, perceived helpfulness, volunteer in community projects, money contribution to a community project, and feeling of safety when alone at home. Tooth loss was dichotomized by median (<5, .5 missing teeth). The investigated confounders were demographic characteristics (gender, age, and self-rated skin color), socioeconomic (educational background, per capita income, and marital status), and dental attendance (dental service utilization, type of dental service, and dental attendance past 12 months). Statistical analyses were performed by K-Mean Cluster method, ANOVA, and segmentation analysis, and Tree decision tree - Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector Algorithm. Results: prevalence of tooth loss (.5 missing teeth) was 42.5% (n=431). Tooth loss profile was explained by low social capital (p<0.001), higher age (p<0.001), low educational background (p=0.022), and low familiar per capita income (p=0.037). Conclusions: (i) scientific evidences suggested that low levels of social capital are associated with worse oral health conditions; (ii) social capital, demographic and socioeconomic factorsexplained tooth loss profile among 35-44 adults residents in the surrounding area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.