Access to dental services and related factors: a home-based population study/Acesso aos servicos odontologicos e fatores associados: estudo populacional domiciliar

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva 2019-03, Vol.24 (3), p.1021
• Main Authors: Carreiro, Danilo Lima, Souza, Joao Gabriel Silva, Coutinho, Wagner Luiz Mineiro, Haikal, Desiree Sant'ana, Ma
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• ISSN: 1413-8123
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232018243.04272017

The scope of this study was to identify factors associated with lack of access to dental services. It involved a cross-sectional study and a probabilistic complex sample by conglomerates in two stages with 857 participants over 18 years of age in a large city. Multiple analyses by means of logistic and multivariate regression in decision trees were made. The lack of access to dental services was considered a dependent variable. It was identified that 10.3% did not have access. In the multiple and multivariate analyses an association with age was verified and in the logistic regression a greater possibility of lack of access was found for each year of increased age, among those with the lowest per capita income and those who ranked appearance of teeth and gums as "fair/poor/very poor." The lack of access to dental services was greater among the most socially vulnerable. There is a pressing need to increase the allocation of public resources to promote health education and provide knowledge about how to access services when they are needed, focusing on dental care as a human right and ensuring that lack of access does not occur as users get older or among those with low income and also those dissatisfied with their oral appearance. Key words Access to health services, Evaluation of health services, Oral health, Dental health services Objetivou-se identificar fatores associados a falta de acesso aos servicos odontologicos. Estudo transversal, amostra complexa probabilistica por conglomerados em dois estagios de 857 participantes, com mais de 18 anos em um municipio de grande porte populacional. Foram feitas analises multiplas atraves da regressao logistica e multivariada em arvores de decisao. Considerou-se como variavel dependente o acesso aos servicos odontologicos. Identificou-se que 10,3% nao obtiveram acesso. Nas analises multipla e multivariada constataram-se associacao com a idade, na regressao logistica constatou-se maior chance de falta de acesso a cada ano de idade incrementado, entre aqueles com menor renda per capita e entre os que classificaram a aparencia dos dentes e gengivas como "regular/ruim/pessima". A falta de acesso aos servicos odontologicos e maior entre os mais vulneraveis socialmente. Ha necessidade de incremento na alocacao de recursos publicos que promovam educacao em saude e gere conhecimento sobre como acessar os servicos quando necessitar, tendo em foco os cuidados odontologicos como um direito humano e que possibilitem que nao o