Determinants of utilization of dental services among 20- to 34-year-old Danes

Abstract

Our aim was to identify determinants of utilization of dental services among 20- to 34-year-old Danes as outlined in a conceptual framework. Our sample consisted of a sample of 464 individuals who had been interviewed by 10 experienced interviewers from The Danish National Institute of Social Research. Our questionnaire comprised a battery of questions based on our conceptual model. The analysis was done in a hierarchical manner using a framework with three steps: Predisposing factors --> Enabling factors --> Need factors --> Utilization. Associations were evaluated with multivariate logistic regression analysis and expressed as odds ratios. The following factors were significantly associated with irregular use of dental services: age, sex, exercise habits, cost of dental treatment, dental anxiety, and perceived condition of teeth. Our findings suggest that a strategy aiming to increase young people's dental attendance should focus on the transition period that is, when the youngsters leave the public dental health care system and have to make use of the private system. The strategy should also take into account that young men are more likely to become non-users. A concerted effort could be dedicated to the non-negligible group of individuals with dental anxiety and dental phobia.

Dental anxiety and dental attendance among 25-year-olds in Norway: time trends from 1997 to 2007

“…A range of socio-demographic, behavioral and psychosocial factors have been related to dental anxiety [3-5]. Dental anxiety is one of several factors related to whether or not people attend dental care [6]. The relationship between dental anxiety and irregular dental attendance and avoidance of dental care is well established [7-10], and also the differences by gender and age, with higher prevalence of dental anxiety in women than in men [2].…”

“…Using Aday and Andersen's framework for the study of access to medical care [24], Scheutz and Heidmann [6] explored determinants of utilization of dental care among 20-34-year olds. They found that in Denmark the following factors were associated with irregular use of dental services: age, sex, exercise habits, costs, dental anxiety, and perceived own dental health.…”

Desigualdades socioeconómicas en la utilización de servicios de salud bucal: estudio en escolares mexicanos de 6 a 12 años de edad

“…Este cambio puede ser valorado de acuerdo al punto de vista del profesional (valoración técnica o normativa), o bien según la percepción del individuo enfermo y su familia (valoración subjetiva, o sentida/expresada). Este modelo teórico se ha utilizado en estudios sobre servicios odontológicos en diversos escenarios 22,23,24,35,39,40,41 . Dentro de este modelo es posible estudiar al mismo tiempo la existencia de desigualdades en salud, ya que en él se incluyen variables socioeconómicas, donde si existiese desigualdad socioeconómica sería viable identificarla.…”

Determinants of Dental Care Attendance during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

“…Several studies have identified the determinants of dental service utilization among adults around the world. Some of them are age, sex, race, ethnicity, cost of dental treatment, health insurance, dental anxiety, hygiene habits, oral health education, oral health beliefs, self-reported oral health problems, and need for oral health [Rosenstock, 1966;Scheutz and Heidmann, 2001;Pohjola et al, 2007;Slack-Smith et al, 2007;Araújo et al, 2009; Baker, Keywords Dental care · Dental health services · Oral health · Pregnancy · Review Abstract Despite the fact that dental care attendance during pregnancy has been recommended by guidelines and institutions, the demand for dental services is still low among pregnant women. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the determinants of dental care attendance during pregnancy.…”