Socioeconomic and psychosocial predictors of dental healthcare use among Brazilian preschool children

• Published in: BMC oral health 2013-10, Vol.13 (1), p.60-60, Article 60
• Main Authors: Machry, Rômulo Vaz, Tuchtenhagen, Simone, Agostini, Bernardo Antonio, da Silva Teixeira, Carlos Roberto, Piovesan, Chaiana, Mendes, Fausto Medeiros, Ardenghi, Thiago Machado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Attitude to Health; Brazil; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental care; Dental Care - utilization; Dental caries; Dental research; Dentistry; Discrimination in medical care; DMF Index; Economic aspects; Educational Status; Female; Health aspects; Health care disparities; Healthcare Disparities; Humans; Income; Infant; Male; Medical care; Occupations; Oral Health; Parenting; Parents - education; Parents - psychology; Preschool children; Private Sector; Public Sector; Social aspects; Social Class; Socioeconomic factors; Studies; Utilization
• ISSN: 1472-6831; 1472-6831
• DOI: 10.1186/1472-6831-13-60

Disparities in utilization of oral healthcare services have been attributed to socioeconomic and individual behavioral factors. Parents' socioeconomic status, demographics, schooling, and perceptions of oral health may influence their children's use of dental services. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationships between socioeconomic and psychosocial factors and the utilization of dental health services by children aged 1-5 years. Data were collected through clinical exams and a structured questionnaire administered during the National Day of Children's Vaccination. A Poisson regression model was used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Data were collected from a total of 478 children. Only 112 (23.68%) were found to have visited a dentist; 67.77% of those had seen the dentist for preventive care. Most (63.11%) used public rather than private services. The use of dental services varied according to parental socioeconomic status; children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those whose parents rated their oral health as "poor" used dental services less frequently. The reason for visiting the dentist also varied with socioeconomic status, in that children of parents with poor socioeconomic status and who reported their child's oral health as "fair/poor" were less likely to have visited the dentist for preventive care. This study demonstrated that psychosocial and socioeconomic factors are important predictors of the utilization of dental care services.