Individual determinants of dental care utilization among low-income adult and elderly individuals

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia

Lawder, Juliana Aparecida de Campos¹  Silva, Francilene de Fátima Marcondes da¹  Antunes, José Leopoldo Ferreira²  Baldani, Márcia Helena¹  Mendes, Yasmine Bittencourt Emílio¹  Brito, Wanessa Hoffmann¹ 

[1] Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa;Universidade de São Paulo

关键词: Access to health services;    Dental care;    Inequalities in health;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1415-790X2010000100014

学科分类：过敏症与临床免疫学

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

The utilizationof dental care services results from the interaction of biological determinantswith sociocultural, family and community variables, as well as from some characteristicsof health systems. The objective of this study was to assess the individualfactors associated with the use of dental care services among low-income adultand elderly individuals living in the catchment area of the Family Health Strategy,in Ponta Grossa, PR. The sample included 246 individuals, aged 35 years or over,who answered a questionnaire on socioeconomic conditions, perceived needs, andaccess to dental care services. Data analysis was performed according to a conceptualframework based on Andersen's Behavioral Model. Non-recent use of dental careservices was considered as the dependent variable in the logistic regressionanalysis models. There were high prevalences of self-reported oral health diseasesand teeth loss. About 40% of the adults and 67% of the elderly had not madeany dental visit in the past 3 years. Individuals without ownership of the familyhome, with inadequate oral hygiene habits and who wore complete dentures hadhigher odds of having gone to the dentist longer ago. The fact of having a regularsource of dental care was identified as a protective factor in the analysis.The conceptual framework confirmed the presence of social and psychosocial inequalitiesin the use of dental services among low-income adult and elderly individuals.

【 授权许可】

CC BY