Abstract
BackgroundThe utilization of oral health services in children remains at a relatively low level in China. However, little is known about the utilization patterns and related factors. The objective of this study was to explore the patterns of oral health service utilization and to determine the related factors among preschool children in Beijing, China, based on the Andersen behavioral model.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 1425 preschool children aged 2 to 6 years was carried out in five kindergartens in Beijing, China. A questionnaire investigation of parents/caregivers was performed to collect information on oral health service utilization. Oral health needs were evaluated through oral health examinations. Chi-square tests, t-tests, multivariate logistic regression and negative binomial regression were used in this study to identify the variables associated with oral health service utilization.ResultsIn total, 648 (45.5%) children had utilized oral health services in the past 12 months, while 24.3% had utilized preventive oral health services. Routine checkups and receiving preventive measures accounted for 63.2% of the children who utilized oral health services in the past 12 months. Children were more likely to have utilized oral health services in the past 12 months if they attended kindergartens with regular oral health care resources, if their oral health status as perceived by their parents/parents was “fair” or “poor”, if they had more decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) and if they had experienced more dental pain. In addition, children with more dental pain and more access to oral health services, whose oral health status was perceived by parents/caregivers as worse tended to have utilized oral health services more frequently in the past 12 months.ConclusionsIn conclusion, we found a strong association between access to regular oral health care resources and oral health service utilization among preschool children. Children whose oral health status was perceived by parents/caregivers as worse and who had more dental pain were more likely to have utilized oral health services in China.
Highlights
The utilization of oral health services in children remains at a relatively low level in China
The objective of this study was to explore the patterns of oral health service utilization and to determine the factors associated with oral health service utilization among preschool children in Beijing, China, based on the Andersen behavioral model
More than half of the families had an annual household income beyond the level of 100,000 Chinese Yuan (CNY), which was the average income of all Beijing households in 2011 [35]
Summary
The utilization of oral health services in children remains at a relatively low level in China. There are differences in the utilization of oral health services between children in Eastern, Central and Western China, as well as between children in urban and rural areas, according to the 3rd National Oral Health Survey in 2005 [13]. These disparities in China were not investigated in depth, as little evidence was available. To achieve the goal of “Healthy China 2030”, it has been recognized by the government that more attention should be paid to oral health in children and inequalities in the utilization of health care services [14]
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