Socio-Educational Factors Associated With the Caries Index in Indigenous Amazonian Nationalities

TL;DR

This study explores how socio-educational factors like education level and age relate to dental caries in two Indigenous Amazonian groups in Ecuador.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into caries prevalence and its socio-educational associations among under-researched Amazonian nationalities in Ecuador.

Findings

No difference in caries index levels was found between Waorani and Zaparo nationalities.

A statistically significant association was found between the DMFT index and education level.

Age showed a moderate positive correlation with caries index levels across dentition types.

Abstract

Introduction: Dental caries is a chronic, multifactorial disease that causes demineralization and destruction of the tooth's hard tissues. Factors that impact caries formation include socio-educational aspects such as the level of study, economic status, and place of residence. Though there is some information about Indigenous people in Ecuador, there is scant literature concerning the Indigenous Amazonian nationalities like Waorani or Zaparo.

Objective: To describe the socio-educational aspects related to the caries level index of Ecuador's Waorani and Zaparo nationalities.

Methodology: This research was descriptive and cross-sectional, with a quantitative approach involving observation and survey techniques. The population consists of 89 patients of Waorani and/or Zaparo nationality. Based on the selection criteria, they were selected using non-probability convenience sampling.

Results: There was no difference between the two types of Amazonian nationality regarding the level of the caries index considered for the age group. Taking into account the indicators over which the caries index is measured (very low, low, moderate, and high) when associating them with the sex of the participants in this research, it was determined that only in the case of the mixed caries index (dmft / DMFT) there was a statistically significant association with sex. Additionally, there was a statistically significant association between the level of the DMFT index and patients' education level. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation was observed between age and caries index levels across the three types of dentition.

Conclusion: Caries were present regardless of the type of Amazonian nationality, and their prevalence increased with the age of the population.