A Comparison of Rural and Urban School-Based Sealant Programs in Illinois

A cross-sectional study of the successes and barriers affecting the school-based sealant programs in Illinois was conducted. The program administrators of the 46 programs funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) were surveyed both in electronic and paper format. Information gathered included geographical information, program characteristics and perceived successes and barriers affecting program implementation. Specifically, programs in rural and non-rural areas were compared with each other. Out of 46 surveys delivered, 36 were completed in full for a total response rate of 78%. Administrators of programs in rural or collar areas were more likely to respond than those in urban or metro areas. In general, all programs report high Medicaid enrollment and Free or Reduced Lunch Plan (FRLP) eligibility, suggesting School-Based Sealant Programs (SBSP) in Illinois are serving children from low socioeconomic status (SES) families, and are therefore targeting a high-caries risk population. PSRR was not statistically different based on whether a program was located in a rural or non-rural area. In addition, PSRR was not statistically different for programs reporting a lower Medicaid enrollment compared to those with higher reported Medicaid enrollment. However, a statistically significant increase in PSRR was found for programs in counties without a practicing pediatric dentist.