Women’s economic empowerment, participation in decision-making and exposure to violence as risk indicators for early childhood caries
Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC Oral Health
Abstract
Objectives: In view of the association between early childhood caries (ECC])and maternal social risk factors, this
study tried to determine if there were associations between indicators of processes, outputs and outcomes of
women’s empowerment, and the prevalence of ECC.
Methods: In this ecological study, indicators measuring the explanatory variables - economic empowerment,
decision-making and violence against women - were selected from the Integrated Results and Resources
Framework of the UN-Women Strategic Plan 2018–2021 and WHO database. Indicators measuring the outcome
variables - the prevalence of ECC for children aged 0 to 2 years, and 3 to 5 years - were extracted from a published
literature. The general linear models used to determine the association between the outcome and explanatory
variables were adjusted for economic level of countries. Regression estimates (B), 95% confidence intervals and
partial eta squared (η2
) were calculated.
Results: Countries with more females living under 50% of median income had higher prevalence of ECC for 3 to
5-year olds (B = 1.82, 95% CI = 0.12, 3.52). Countries with higher percentage of women participating in their own
health care decisions had higher prevalence of ECC for 0 to 2-year-olds (B = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.03, 1.67). Countries with
higher percentage of women participating in decisions related to visiting family, relatives and friends had higher
prevalence of ECC for 3 to 5-year-olds (B = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.03, 1.32). None of the indicators for violence against
women was significantly associated with the prevalence of ECC
Description
9p
Keywords
Citation
Folayan, M. O., El Tantawi, M., Vukovic, A., Schroth, R., Gaffar, B., Al-Batayneh, O. B., ... & Daryanavard, H. (2020). Women’s economic empowerment, participation in decision-making and exposure to violence as risk indicators for early childhood caries. BMC Oral Health, 20(1), 1-9.