Dataset Information

A decade in dental care utilization among adults and children (2001-2010).

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To decompose the change in pediatric and adult dental care utilization over the last decade.

Data

2001 through 2010 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

Study design

The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition was used to explain the change in dental care utilization among adults and children. Changes in dental care utilization were attributed to changes in explained covariates and changes due to movements in estimated coefficients. Controlling for demographics, overall health status, and dental benefits variables, we estimated year-specific logistic regression models. Outputs from these models were used to compute the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition.

Principal findings

Dental care utilization decreased from 40.5 percent in 2001 to 37.0 percent in 2010 for adults and increased from 43.2 percent in 2001 to 46.3 percent in 2010 for children (p<.05). Among adults, changes in insurance status, race, and income contributed to a decline in adult dental care utilization (-0.018, p<.01). Among children, changes in controlled factors did not substantially change dental care utilization, which instead may be explained by changes in policy, oral health status, or preferences.

Conclusions

Dental care utilization for adults has declined, especially among the poor and uninsured. Without further policy intervention, disadvantaged adults face increasing barriers to dental care.

SUBMITTER: Vujicic M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3976182 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

A decade in dental care utilization among adults and children (2001-2010).

Vujicic Marko M Nasseh Kamyar K

Health services research 20131203 2

<h4>Objective</h4>To decompose the change in pediatric and adult dental care utilization over the last decade.<h4>Data</h4>2001 through 2010 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.<h4>Study design</h4>The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition was used to explain the change in dental care utilization among adults and children. Changes in dental care utilization were attributed to changes in explained covariates and changes due to movements in estimated coefficients. Controlling for demographics, overall health ...[more]

PMID: 24299620

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Smokers are at increased risk of oral disease. While routine dental care can help prevent and treat oral health problems, smokers have far lower rates of dental care utilization compared with non-smokers. We sought to better understand which factors may facilitate or hinder dental care utilization among low-income smokers participating in a randomized intervention trial in order to inform future intervention planning. METHODS:This is a secondary analysis of data collected between 2015 and 2017 as part of the OralHealth4Life trial. Participants were eligible callers to the Louisiana, Nebraska, and Oregon state tobacco quitlines who had no dental appointment in the prior or upcoming six months. We examined the association between participants' baseline characteristics and their receiving professional dental care between baseline and the 6-month follow-up survey. RESULTS:Participants were racially diverse (42% non-White) and two-thirds had an annual household income under $20,000. Most (86.7%) had not had a dental cleaning in more than one year. Commonly cited barriers to dental care included cost (83.7%) and no dental insurance (78.1%). Those with dental insurance were more likely to see a dentist at follow-up (RR 1.66). Similarly, those reporting a dental insurance barrier to care were less likely to see a dentist at follow-up (RR 0.69); however, there was no significant utilization difference between those reporting a cost barrier vs. those who did not. After controlling for these financial factors, the following baseline characteristics were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of dental care utilization at 6 months: higher motivation (RR 2.16) and self-efficacy (RR 1.80) to visit the dentist, having a disability (RR 1.63), having a higher education level (RR 1.52), and having perceived gum disease (RR 1.49). Factors significantly associated with a lower likelihood of dental care utilization included being married (RR 0.68) and not having a last dental cleaning within the past year (RR 0.47). CONCLUSIONS:Our findings provide important insight into factors that may facilitate or deter use of professional dental care among low-income smokers. This information could inform the development of future interventions to promote dental care utilization. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT02347124 ; registered 27 January 2015.

Dataset Information

A decade in dental care utilization among adults and children (2001-2010).

Objective

Data

Study design

Principal findings

Conclusions

Publications

A decade in dental care utilization among adults and children (2001-2010).

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