The self-assessed oral health status of individuals from White, Indian, Chinese and Black Caribbean communities in South-east England

– Objectives: To determine the level of self-assessed oral symptoms and the impact of such symptoms among individuals from four ethnic groups resident in South-east England and the relationship between self-assessed oral health status, age, gender, employment status, educational level and ethnicity. Method: Cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of 366 individuals drawn from four ethnic groups. Measures: Subjective Oral Health Status Indicators (SOHSI). Participants: Individuals were recruited through community groups. All participants self-classified their ethnicity. Only completed questionnaires from participants categorising themselves as White, Black Caribbean, Chinese or Indian were included in the data analysis. Findings: Univariate statistical analysis revealed significant differences between ethnic groups in all but one of the SOHSI scales. Age and ethnicity (in particular membership of the Chinese community) emerged as significant predictors of SOHSI scale scores. Conclusions: Within the limitations imposed by convenience sampling, it has been found that differences exist among four ethnic groups in the UK in their reporting of self-assessed oral health status. Ethnicity and age, in particular, predict the reporting of self-assessed oral symptoms and the impact of such symptoms.