Which life course model better explains the association between socioeconomic position and periodontal health?

Aim To assess whether the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and periodontal health fitted the Critical Period or the Social Mobility life course models. Methods A nationally representative sample of 5570 Korean adults from KNHANES IV study. Log‐binomial regression models adjusting for adulthood or childhood socioeconomic (SES) variables was used to assess independent effects of socioeconomic differences for childhood, adulthood and period of transition from child to adult in periodontal health. Results In the Critical Period model, poorer periodontal status was associated with SES disadvantage in adulthood and not predicted by SES disadvantage in childhood. For the intergenerational Social Mobility model, prevalence of current periodontal disease was only different for females aged 30–39 and 40–49 years, after adjustment. Prevalence of periodontal disease in females was highest in the downwardly mobile group. Conclusions The Critical Period model was better at explaining association between socioeconomic position and periodontal health, such as the adulthood socioeconomic variables (SEP), had a stronger effect than childhood factors on periodontal disease. The Social Mobility model explained more of the variation in the association between SEP and periodontal health among women than among men.