The Prevention and Treatment of Medical Diseases in Vulnerable Populations

Palaia, Gaspare; Ralli, Massimo

doi:10.3390/app122010406

Cited by 2 publications

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“…In the present study, it is important to consider the high DMFT score (5.4), likely due to a "westernization" of the diet favouring caries. Furthermore, worrying is the fact that the percentage of missing teeth (M) or still decayed (D) is higher than the treated teeth (F), confirming the need for a campaign to prevent and treat carious pathology in this category of vulnerable people [31][32][33]. Moreover, this score contrasts with the values observed in the epidemiological study of Vano et al [34], in which the authors reported in a cohort of adult Italian patients an approximate DMFT score of 4.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oral Pathologies in Migrants: The Experience of the “PROTECT” Project in 3023 Patients

et al. 2022

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Introduction: The number of people with migrant status living in Europe is proliferating. Most of the refugees in Italy come from war zones, and many of them denounce having been victims of persecutory acts in their country of origin. Highly cultured migrant populations have shown better results and oral health behaviour than those who were poorly cultured. The PROTECT project aimed to build a network for the early management of head and neck pathologies among refugees and migrants, promoting the dissemination of correct information about the prevention and treatment of these pathologies. Materials and methods: A national cross-sectional study among the refugees and migrant population in the Lazio region, Italy, from February 2018 to September 2021 was performed. The oral health of 3023 participants was investigated within a network of 56 reception centres and cultural associations. Data collected via an oral health survey questionnaire gathered information on participants’ demographic factors, migration status and dental behaviours and clinical examinations of the participants with the help of mouth mirrors, periodontal probes and artificial light. Results: The mean age was 31.6 ± 13.1, and among all the subjects, 2058 were male (68.1%) and 965 were women (41.9%). Most participants were born in Nigeria, followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somalia, Mali and Senegal. The overall oral pain prevalence was 48.2%. The prevalence of patients claiming poor oral hygiene was 32.4%; 36.2% of the subjects consumed high amounts of sugar; and 26.7% saw their dentist for a check-up in the last year. At the clinical examination, 68.9% of patients had caries experience (considering decay of deciduous teeth, and caries of permanent teeth and teeth with fillings), with 32.2% showing pulpal involvement. Low levels of oral hygiene were also found at the clinical examination, with 46.5% of patients presenting plaque and calculus. The trend of the DMFT index was found to be 5.41. Good periodontal health (CPI = 0) was present in approximately 33.5% of patients. The CPI = 1 index reported bleeding from gingivitis in 37% of patients; tartar was found in 27% of patients (CPI = 2). The percentage of patients with CPI = 3 was 3.6%. Just over half (52.2%) of the migrants examined had malocclusion, and only 0.7% had a malocclusion in treatment. Conclusions: The goal to be achieved is to develop education and prevention programs for head–neck diseases, and perhaps even more. The first step towards this goal can be removing the obstacles migrants encounter in accessing health care.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oral Pathologies in Migrants: The Experience of the “PROTECT” Project in 3023 Patients

et al. 2022

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“…Sci. 2023, 13, 3618 2 of 9 The burden tends to be greater in low-and middle-income settings among older people, in women, and in rural and disadvantaged communities due to fewer opportunities to access the most essential eye care services [6,7]. Due to its central position in the Mediterranean Sea, Italy represents an interesting country to explore this issue as it constantly receives migrants coming from different countries [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eye Health Screening in Migrant Population: Primary Care Experience in Lazio (Italy) from the PROTECT Project

et al. 2023

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Italy is a natural corridor for entry into Europe, receiving thousands of refugees and migrants needing socio-economic and health assistance yearly. Impaired vision due to eye disease is estimated to affect at least 2.2 billion people worldwide, especially in this underprivileged population. To overcome this deep disparity, new intervention strategies, such as the PROTECT project, were planned with the aim of assessing, in the context of the head–neck area, the eye health in vulnerable applicants and holders of international protection. A total of 3023 migrants were involved in the project. Demographic factors and eye history were collected using a questionnaire. Using portable diagnostic instruments, an eye screening including monocular visual acuity, intraocular pressure, anterior segment, and ocular fundus was performed. The mean age was 31.6 ± 13.1 years and more than 50% underwent the first eye evaluation. Vision impairment was claimed by 16.6% of subjects and the most frequent diseases diagnosed were: refractive errors (11%), strabismus (6%), red eye (6%), cataract (5.3%), and ocular hypertension (1%). Retinal alterations were observed in 5% of migrants. The PROTECT project allows us to increase the accessibility of head–neck disease prevention care. Moreover, our results confirm the utility of an eye screening assessment for early identification of the most relevant and preventable ocular diseases, especially in disadvantaged populations.

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The Prevention and Treatment of Medical Diseases in Vulnerable Populations

Cited by 2 publications

References 14 publications

Oral Pathologies in Migrants: The Experience of the “PROTECT” Project in 3023 Patients

Oral Pathologies in Migrants: The Experience of the “PROTECT” Project in 3023 Patients

Eye Health Screening in Migrant Population: Primary Care Experience in Lazio (Italy) from the PROTECT Project

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