Socioeconomic‐related inequality in dental care utilization among preschool children in China

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate socioeconomic-related inequality in dental care service utilization in the past 12 months among Chinese preschool children and to explore the contribution of various factors to this inequality.Method: A total of 40 305 children aged 3-5 years from 372 kindergartens who participated in the Fourth National Oral Health Survey in China were included in the final analysis. The method of data weighting in complex sampling was adopted to make the samples more representative. Erreygers-corrected concentration index (EI) was used to measure socioeconomic-related inequality in dental care service utilization. The horizontal inequality index (HI) was employed to analyse horizontal inequality. Decomposition analyses were conducted to explore the contributions of income level, need variables (dmft, caregiver-evaluated oral health status and toothache experience) and nonneed variables (caregiver education level, residential location, age, and sex) to the inequality of health service utilization. Result:The utilization of oral health services within the past 12 months among the high-, middle-and low-income groups was 17.4% (95% CI: 15.6-19.3), 13.6% (95% CI: 12.2-15.1) and 9.4% (95% CI: 8.1-11.0) respectively. The concentration curve was below the line of equality, and the EI and HI were 0.072 and 0.078, respectively, How to cite this article: Chang Q, Gao X, Xu M, et al. Socioeconomic-related inequality in dental care utilization among preschool children in China.

Influence of maternal and child factors on the dental service utilization among preschool children in Bangalore urban district: a cross-sectional study

“…Earlier studies have revealed shortage in the dental workforce (common health care issue in rural areas) family income, socioeconomic status, mother's age, mother, parent or caregiver's education, dental visit, perception of child's oral health-related quality of life, child's age, dental pain, and dental caries experience, influenced child's dental visit. 7,10,11,[13][14][15][16]24,26 In this study child's factors such as their pain experience and decayed teeth and mother's education, perception on child's oral health-related quality of life and caries experience influence children's dental visit.…”

“…24 The male to female ratio were almost similar in the present study which is in line with previous studies. 7,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]20,[24][25][26] Studies have reported either equal or varied (higher proportion of children from rural and urban) distribution of study participants. 14,15,25 In our study majority of the participants were recruited from urban location owing to the population dwelling in Bangalore urban district.…”

“…7,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]20,[24][25][26] Studies have reported either equal or varied (higher proportion of children from rural and urban) distribution of study participants. 14,15,25 In our study majority of the participants were recruited from urban location owing to the population dwelling in Bangalore urban district. Socioeconomic conditions can act as a predictor for child's use of dental services, with lower socioeconomic status being the main reason for not accessing health care services.…”

“…10 Age, gender, location, oral health factors such as caries and pain experience were found to be associated with children dental visits. 7,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Despite unmet treatment needs, the search for dental care is low among preschool children. 12 Barriers such as lack of availability of appropriate care, affordability, public funding for specialized services, difficulties accessing dental care, low perceived treatment need and fear of dental procedures have deprived many low-income children to avail preventive dental care or treatment for oral health problems until infection or other urgent conditions develop.…”

“…7,12,[14][15][16]20 Social and environmental factors in which the child grow, location, living conditions, access to health care facility, children attending school/day care; maternal age, education, dental visit, knowledge about dental health and poor maternal perception of child's oral health influenced children's dental visit. 7,9,[10][11][12][13][14]16,20 Children with dental pain experience, dental caries or fair to poor oral hygiene mostly utilized dental services. 10,16,20 However, studies associating mother's oral health and children's dental visit are limited.…”