Journal of public health dentistry
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J Public Health Dent · Jan 2013
An examination of racial/ethnic disparities in children's oral health in the United States.
To assess the extent factors other than race/ethnicity explain apparent racial/ethnic disparities in children's oral health and oral health care. ⋯ Racial/ethnic disparities in children's oral health status and access were attributable largely to socioeconomic and health insurance factors. Efforts to decrease disparities may be more efficacious if targeted at social, economic, and other factors associated with minority racial/ethnic status and may have positive effects on all who share similar social, economic, and cultural characteristics.
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J Public Health Dent · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyA brief 20-item dental/medical health literacy screen (REALMD-20).
Few health literacy instruments are available to clinicians to help understand the implications of patient difficulty understanding health information. Those that do exist are lengthy and would not be conducive to use in a busy clinical setting. Long-term dental and medical outcomes may improve if health care providers can identify individuals with low health literacy levels who may benefit from tailored communication, yet few instruments are available for clinical use. The purpose of this study is to introduce a brief 20-item screener for limited dental/medical health literacy among adult dental patients. ⋯ The REALMD-20 is a quick screening instrument that can be used by clinicians to detect limited dental/medical health literacy among adult patients seeking treatment in dental/medical clinic settings.