Biomedical subjects

B Payne

Publications and source records attributed to B Payne.

38 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Area variations in health behaviours.

Many studies of health inequalities use household income as an indicator of socioeconomic status. Because household income is usually subject to high item non-response rates area or census-based measures have been suggested as an alternative. A number of studies have shown that these are as good as or better than conventional measures of socioeconomic status at identifying variations in health status and use of health services. This paper examines the association of the median household income of the enumeration area in which a subject lives, with a variety of oral and general health behaviours. After the confounding effects of age and sex were controlled for, this area-based indicator was significantly associated with six of ten health behaviours for which data were collected. Four of the associations remained significant after the effects of house hold income were controlled for. These results suggest that area-based measures of socioeconomic status may have a useful role in understanding the influence of social contexts on health behaviours.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The oral health of disadvantaged adolescents in North York, Ontario.

Disadvantaged youth such as the homeless, the unemployed or recent immigrants are thought to be at high risk for dental problems, but data to support this hypothesis are rare. Using interviews and clinical examinations, this study measured the oral health status and treatment needs of a convenience sample of 478 disadvantaged adolescents aged 14 and older in North York, Ontario. Although the results cannot be generalized to the overall population, the data suggested that disadvantaged youth have high rates of oral disease. The adolescents reported a variety of symptoms, including oral pain and low rates of dental visiting. Clinically, high rates of periodontal disease, dental decay and urgent treatment needs were detected. If public health resources are to be directed to those most in need, efforts should be made to identify high-risk groups that may be overlooked in general surveys. Prevention, detection and treatment programs should be considered for high-risk adolescents.

Adolescent↗