Home ownership, income and oral health of children in Australia—A population-based study

Abstract

Objective: Income inequalities in children's oral health have been well described. It is plausible that the security of tenure reflected by the ownership status of children's housing dynamically interacts with household income to shape these inequalities. We examined whether housing tenure modifies the known association between household income and oral health. Methods: Data were analysed on 3344 10- to 11-year-old children from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Multivariable regression models tested associations between household income and dental caries and tooth loss due to caries. Effect modification by home ownership (yes/no) was tested on the additive and multiplicative sc..