Use of dental services and associated factors among elderly in southern Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia

Feldens, Carlos Alberto¹  Silva, Alexandre Emidio Ribeiro¹  Langlois, Caroline de Oliveira¹ 

[1] Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Canoas, Brazil

关键词: Elderly;    Oral health;    Dental care;    Epidemiology;    Cross-sectional studies;    Family HealthIntroductionHealth services in Brazil have not appropriately met the needs of the elderly population1;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1415-790X2013000400020

学科分类：过敏症与临床免疫学

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the use of dental services and associated factors among elderly treated at Family Health Units in southern Brazil. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 438 elderly attending Family Health Units in Pelotas, southern Brazil. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire covering demographic and socioeconomic variables, in addition to information on time elapsed since their last dental visit. Explanatory variables were classified according to Andersen and Davidson's model. Clinical variables were obtained by a trained dentist. Multivariable Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to identify factors associated with the outcome. RESULTS: The prevalence of use of dental services in the last 3 years was 41.1% (95%CI 36.5 - 45.7). Multivariable analysis revealed that the probability of not using dental services was higher among individuals who self-assessed their general health as poor or very poor (Prevalence Ratio [PR] = 1.36; 95%CI 1.05 - 1.78), with less than 8 years of education (< 4 years: PR = 1.43; 95%CI 1.01 - 2.02; 4 to 7 years: PR = 1.43; 95%CI 1.00 - 2.04), users of alcohol (PR = 1.31; 95%CI 1.08 - 1.59), and those with no teeth (PR = 1.73; 95%CI 1.29 - 2.32). CONCLUSIONS: The low prevalence of use of dental services among elderly attending Family Health Units in Pelotas, especially among those with poor self-assessed general health, lower education level, and without teeth, indicate the need for public policies to improve social indicators and general health.

【 授权许可】

Unknown