title: Prevalence and socio-economic disparities in fissure sealant placement among adolescents in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated socio-economic factors associated with the placement of fissure sealants in a population of South African adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study participants were high school students aged 12 to layers who provided baseline data during 2005 in a tobacco-use prevention trial, and consented to oral examination (n=1103). Information was obtained using a self-administered survey questionnaire, including demographic data, data on oral health behaviour, the employment status of parents/guardians, and the family structure of the household and on health insurance enrolment. The main outcome measure was the presence of a fissure sealant on any tooth, recorded using the WHO oral examination protocol. Data were analysed using chi-square statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis (p<0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, only 3.5% (n=37) of the study participants had a fissure sealant, and only 31.3% (n=345) had ever made a dental visit. Those who had attended seeking mostly preventive care were significantly more likely to have a fissure sealant than those who had visited mostly when they were in pain (14.2% vs. 2.9%; p<0.001). In the multi-variable adjusted analysis, those reporting to have parents who are both employed (OR = 2.76; 2.26 - 3.38), and reporting regular preventive dental visits (OR = 3.55; 2.28 -5.58) were positively associated with receiving fissure sealant, while those who self-identified as black (OR = 0.04; 0.01 - 0.13), were significantly less likely to present with a fissure sealant as compared with other ethnicity/race groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher socio-economic status and regular access to preventive care were significantly associated with the placement of fissure sealants in the studied population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. lekan.ayoyusuf@up.ac.za
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ayo-Yusuf
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Okagbare
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Ayo-Yusuf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044383:Black People; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants