The Correlation between Dental Health Status and Educational Level, Age, and Gender as Demographic Attributes of the Children of Migrant Workers

Migrant workers and their families appear to have greater health issues, given their need to adjust to new environments and restricted access to healthcare services. One obstacle to receiving healthcare is culture. This study aims to analyze the correlation between dental health status and the level of class, age, and gender as demographic attributes in the children of migrant workers.

This cross-sectional study involved the children of Indonesian migrant workers who resided in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The population of the study consisted of children who met the inclusion criteria. Their ages varied between six and twelve. In this study, we used the purposive sampling method. There are 93 samples that met the inclusion criteria. We obtained the data on dental health status using the RedCap online form, which is used in the WHO oral health survey. The researchers performed data analysis, the def-t and DMF-T measurement index and prevalence analyses, and the Spearman-Rho correlation tests to examine the data and determine the appropriate analytical tests.

The characteristics of the children of Indonesian migrant workers are as follows: based on the class level, 1, 5, and 6; based on age, 6-8 and 9-11; and based on gender, nearly equal between the male and female respondents. The DMF-T index score was 1.22, and the def-t index was 3.77 among the migrant children. The prevalence of caries in permanent adult crowns was lower (53.76%) than that in primary children crowns (64.52%.). Root caries is present in less than 1% of the adult population; however, its prevalence among the children of migrant workers is indeterminable. The majority of the negative correlation occurs between the level of grade and age of the children of Indonesian migrant workers and their dental and oral health status; however, there is no significant correlation between gender and oral health status.

The DMF-T index of migrant children is low, while their def-t index is high. The prevalence of crown and root caries among the children of migrant workers is significantly higher. There are many negative correlations between the educational level and age of the migrant children and their oral health status.