Healthy People 2010 oral health objective 21.7 calls for increasing to 20% adults 40+ years receiving an annual oral cancer examination (OCE). The purposes of this study were (1) to estimate the difference between blacks and whites aged 40+ regarding the percentage who reported receiving an OCE in the past year; and (2) to evaluate the extent to which this difference might be explained by age, gender, education, family income, a recent dental visit, and edentulism. Information on receipt of an annual OCE and demographics obtained through the 1998 National Health Interview Survey for 12,190+ adults 40 years and over was analyzed by logistic regression using SUDAAN. 14% of these adults, 7% of blacks, and 15% of whites, reported having an OCE in the past 12 months. Overall, blacks were about 2.3 times less likely than whites to have had the examination (OR=0.43; p-value=.00000). After adjusting for age, gender, education, and family income, the black/white odds ratio was 0.54 (p-value=.00001). When a recent dental visit and edentulism were added to this model the newly adjusted black/white OR was 0.59 (p-value=.00011). This latter final model accounted for about 28% of the overall two-fold disparity between blacks and whites. Given that blacks are at only 35% of the targeted 2010 objective level compared to 75% for whites, intensive wide-ranging efforts must be initiated with blacks to achieve the oral health objective.
Learning Objectives: To identify factors associated with black/white disparities in having an oral cancer examination.
Keywords: Cancer Prevention, African American
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.