Open AccessSocio‐economic differences in public opinion regarding water fluoridation in Queensland
Author(s) -
Mummery W. Kerry,
Duncan Mitchell,
Kift Ryan
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2007.00082.x
Subject(s) - water fluoridation , respondent , sample (material) , water supply , public opinion , population , environmental health , descriptive statistics , public health , survey sampling , geography , socioeconomics , medicine , fluoride , political science , politics , sociology , environmental science , statistics , environmental engineering , nursing , mathematics , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , chromatography , law
AbstractObjective:To describe public opinion relating to the fluoridation of drinking water in a sample of the Queensland population.Method:Data were collected by means of a computer‐assisted telephone interview survey from a sample of the Queensland population. Descriptive statistics and logistical regression were used to examine associations between variables.Results:Seventy per cent of the total sample supported water fluoridation of their local supply. More than 71% of the total sample agreed that water fluoridation was safe. People living in areas of higher socio‐economic/relative socio‐economic advantage were more likely to support the addition of fluoride to local drinking water and agree that it was safe. Opinions about fluoridation varied by respondent age and gender.Conclusions:General support was found in this sample of the Queensland population for fluoridation of drinking water.Implications:In Queensland, fluoridation of the water supply is now a political decision. Information about public opinion on fluoridation may assist decision makers in the final determination.