Are ethnic inequalities in adult oral health-related quality of life modified by immigration status?

Objective: To explore ethnic inequalities in oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and the role of nativity status on them.

Methods: Data from 1868 adults (16-65 years) of 9 ethnic groups participating in a community-based health survey in East London. Participants completed a supervised questionnaire including the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) to calculate prevalence, extent and severity of oral impacts. Associations between ethnicity and nativity status (individually and combined) with OHRQoL were assessed in regression models, crude and adjusted for socio-demographic factors and clinical oral health indicators.

Results: Black others showed higher prevalence (OR: 1.91; 95%CI 1.05-3.46), severity (IRR: 2.87, 95%CI 1.63-5.06) and extent of oral impacts (IRR: 1.86, 95%CI 1. 35-2.59). Oral impacts were more severe among Black Caribbeans (IRR: 2.85, 95%CI 1.31-6.18) and Bangladeshis (IRR: 3.08, 95%CI .07-8.91); whereas impacts were more extensive among Pakistanis (IRR: 1.54, 95%CI 1.05-2.25) and Bangladeshis (IRR: 1.87, 95%CI 1.16-3.00). Nativity status individually showed no association with OHRQoL, although when combined with ethnicity resulted in many minority groups showing worse OHRQoL than White British participants.

Conclusion: Ethnicity and nativity status have a combined and important role in OHRQoL: ethnic minority groups showed worse OHRQoL even when controlling for clinical oral status.