https://repositorio.uide.edu.ec/handle/37000/5 En menos de una década la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la UIDE se ha convertido en una de las más prestigiosas del país 2026-08-03T16:00:26Z https://repositorio.uide.edu.ec/handle/37000/9599 Title: Association between socioeconomic inequality and edentulism burden among adults aged ≥60 years in Ecuador, 2003–2023: an ecological time-series study Authors: Vaca Llango, Pamela Alexandra; Rodríguez Alvarado, Rodrigo Alejandro (tutor) Abstract: Background/Objectives: Edentulism is one of the most severe outcomes of chronic oral diseases and represents an important public health concern among older adults. Its distribution is influenced by social determinants of health, including socioeconomic conditions, income distribution, educational attainment, and access to healthcare services. Although previous studies have identified socioeconomic disparities in oral health, evidence regard-ing the relationship between socioeconomic inequality and the burden of edentulism in Ecuador remains limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the association between the burden of edentulism among adults aged ≥60 years and socioeconomic inequality, measured by the Gini index, in Ecuador from 2003 to 2023. Methods: An ecolog ical time-series study was conducted using secondary aggregated national data from Ecuador between 2003 and 2023. The burden of edentulism among adults aged ≥60 years was assessed using three indicators: total number of individuals with edentulism, edetulism rate per 100,000 inhabitants, and percentage of edentulism. Socioeconomic indicators included the Gini index and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Descriptive statistics, graphical analyses, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were used toevaluate associations between variables. Results: During the study period, the burden of edentulism increased, whereas income inequality decreased and GDP per capita increased. Significant inverse associations were observed between the Gini index and all edentulism indicators, while GDP per capita showed significant positive associations with the number, rate, and percentage of individuals with edentulism. These findings suggest that temporal changes in edentulism were associated with broader socioeconomic and demographic transitions occurring in Ecuador. Conclusions: The burden of edentulism among adults aged ≥60 years in Ecuador appears to be influenced by a complex interaction of socioeconomic inequality, economic development, demographic aging, and social determinants of health. These findings highlight the importance of life-course oral health policies focused on prevention, equitable access to dental care, and healthy aging to reduce the future burden of edentulism in Ecuador. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.uide.edu.ec/handle/37000/9598 Title: Relationship between oral cancer and the human development index in Ecuador: an ecological time series study over the period 2000–2024 Authors: Sosa Rodriguez, Sarah Nicole; Rodriguez, Alejadro (tutor) Abstract: Oral cancer is a growing public health problem whose burden may vary with socioeconomic de- velopment; however, national trends in Ecuador and their relationship with the Human Develop- ment Index (HDI) have not been characterized. Objective: To analyze temporal trends in oral cavity cancer hospital-admission and mortality rates in Ecuador from 2000 to 2024 and to examine their association with the HDI. Methods: In this ecological time-series study, hospital-discharge and death-certificate records for oral cavity cancer (ICD-10 codes C00 C06) were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses. Crude and age-standardized rates were estimated over- all and by sex, age group, and region. Temporal trends were assessed with joinpoint regression, and the association with the annual HDI was evaluated using Pearson and Spearman correlations. Re- sults: Between 2000 and 2024, 17,249 hospital admissions and 1,424 deaths from oral cavity cancer were recorded. Mortality rose steadily across the period, whereas admissions increased until 2019 and then fell sharply in 2020, recovering only partially. The burden was concentrated on adults aged 65 years and older; deaths in those younger than 20 years and in the Amazonia, region were too few to model. The HDI was positively and significantly correlated with both outcomes, more strongly for hospital admissions (r = 0.95, p < 0.001) than for mortality (r = 0.42, p = 0.039). Conclusions: Oral cavity cancer mortality in Ecuador has risen during a period of advancing human development. This positive ecological association most likely reflects population aging and more complete case detection and registration rather than causal effects, and it underscores the need for stronger cancer surveillance, primary prevention, and early detection, particularly in older adults. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.uide.edu.ec/handle/37000/9597 Title: Association between household food insecurity and oral health conditions in children and adolescents of Ecuador: a cross-sectional national study Authors: Mahroogh, Yasamin; Rubio Montúfar, Daniel Alejandro; Rodríguez Alvarado, Rodrigo Alejandro (tutor) Abstract: Background/Objectives: Household food consumption patterns serve as valuable indi- cators of Household Food Insecurity (HFI), which is increasingly recognized as a key social determinant of oral health (OH). However, the relationship between HFI and OH problems among Ecuadorian children and adolescents remains insufficiently explored. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between HFI, measured by indica- tors of household food consumption, and OH problems among Ecuadorian children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years... 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.uide.edu.ec/handle/37000/9596 Title: Efecto inhibitorio del aceite de coco sobre Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans y Candida albicans: un estudio in vitro Authors: Fernandes Delgado, Anghelina; Zuleta Silva, Karelys Cosette; Fuentes, Amparo (tutor) Abstract: Background/Objectives: Oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontitis, and oral candidiasis are associated with microorganisms including Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Candida albicans. Virgin coconut oil has been proposed as a natural antimicrobial alternative due to its bioactive compounds. This study aimed to evaluate its inhibitory effect against these microorganisms and determine the optimal concentration for antimicrobial activity in vitro. Methods: An experimental in vitro study was conducted using reference strains of S. mutans, P. gingivalis, and C. albicans. Virgin coconut oil was tested at concentrations of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, using chlorhexidine 0.12% and Tween 80 as controls. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated through the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method at 24, 48, and 72 hours. Results: A total of 792 observations were analyzed. S. mutans showed the highest inhibitory response, followed by P. gingivalis, while C. albicans showed little or no sensitivity. The 25% and 50% concentrations of virgin coconut oil demonstrated greater antimicrobial activity than pure oil. Chlorhexidine showed the greatest inhibitory effect among all treatments. Conclusions: Virgin coconut oil exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and P. gingivalis, especially at concentrations of 25% and 50%, but showed limited activity against C. albicans. It may represent a natural complementary alternative for oral health care. Keywords: Virgin coconut oil; antimicrobial activity; Streptococcus mutans; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Candida albicans. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z