Unmet dental health care needs in Serbia

Jovana Todorovic; Natasa Popovic; Pavle Piperac; Slavica Djurdjevic Todorovic; Zorica Terzic Supic

doi:10.5937/smclk2-32309

Jovana Todorovic
Natasa Popovic Univerzitet u Beogradu, Medicinski fakultet, Institut za socijalnu medicinu
Pavle Piperac Univerzitet u Beogradu, Medicinski fakultet, Katedra humaništičkih nauka
Slavica Djurdjevic Todorovic Dom zdravlja, Požarevac
Zorica Terzic Supic Univerzitet u Beogradu, Medicinski fakultet, Institut za socijalnu medicinu

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/smclk2-32309

Keywords: unmet dental health care needs, dental health care, SILC, accessibility

Abstract

Objectives: The study aims were to analyze the socio-demographic, socio-economic, health status characteristics of the population with unmet dental health care needs. Methods: The cross-sectional study included 20069 respondents from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions in the Republic of Serbia in 2014. Multivariate analysis with the self-perceived unmet dental health care needs as an outcome variable was conducted. Results: Nearly every sixth citizen (16.1%) reported unmet dental health care needs. Participants between the ages of 27 and 44 (OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.21-1.82), and 45 and 64 (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.19-1.86), participants who assessed their health status as good (OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.63-2.25), fair (OR: 3.16, 95% CI: 2.64-3.77), bad (OR: 3.65, 95% CI: 2.94-4.53) or very bad (OR:4.22, 95% CI: 3.10-5.74) had higher likelihood to report unmet dental health need. The most frequent reasons for unmet dental care needs were financial obstacles to the accessibility of dental health care (66.6%), and fear or treatment (15.1%). Conclusions: The study found inequalities in self-perceived unmet dental health care needs according to socio-demographic, socio-economic, health status characteristics of the population. Health policy should adopt a multidimensional approach and eliminate barriers which restrict the accessibility of dental health care.

References

References

1. Carr W, Wolfe S. Unmet needs as sociomedical indicators. 1976;6(3).
2. Calvasina P, Muntaner C, Quiñonez C. Factors associated with unmet dental care needs in Canadian immigrants : an analysis of the longitudinal survey of immigrants to Canada. 2014;1–9.
3. Kim N, Kim C, Shin H. Inequality in unmet dental care needs among South Korean adults. 2017;99:1–9.
4. Malecki K, Wisk LE, Walsh M, Mcwilliams C, Eggers S, Olson M. Oral Health Equity and Unmet Dental Care Needs in a Population-Based Sample : Findings From the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin. 2015;105:466–74.
5. EUROSTAT. Self-reported unmet needs for dental examination by sex , age , main reason declared and educational attainment level. 2019;
6. Choi JW, Choi Y, Lee T, Lee HJ, Ju YJ, Park E. Employment status and unmet dental care needs in South Korea : a population- based panel study. 2019;1–7.
7. Bladani MH. Inequalities in access and utilization of dental services : a cross-sectional study in an area covered by the Family Health Strategy. Cad Saude Publica. 2011;27:272–83.
8. Raittio E, Kiiskinen U, Helminen S, Aromaa A, Dental SAL. Dental attendance among adult Finns after a major oral health care reform. 2014;591–603.
9. Alfredo G, Junior P. Oral Health Policies in Brazil § The history of oral health in Brazil. 2009;23:9–16.
10. Mendes SR, Martins RC, Matta-machado ATG, Mattos GCM, Gallagher JE, Abreu MHNG. Dental Procedures in Primary Health Care of the Brazilian National Health System. Int J Environ Res Public Heatlh. 2017;14:1480–5.
11. Official Gazzete of the Republic of serbia. Law on Health Insurance. Belgrade: National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia; 2012.
12. Official Gazzete of the Republic of Serbia. Law on Health Care. Belgrade: National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia; 2011.
13. No Title.
14. Results of the national health survey of the republic of serbia 2013. 2014.
15. Kanjevac T. Dental services funding and affordability in Serbia – decade-long Demand for Dental Care Services The Case of Serbia. 2015;3(June):10–3.
16. EUROSTAT: EUROPEAN UNION STATISTICS ON INCOME AND LIVING CONDITIONS (EU-SILC).
17. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Income and Living Conditions in the Republic of Serbia-2013. Final Report. Belgrade; 2015.
18. Popovic N, Terzic-Supic Z, Simic S, Mladenovic B. Predictors of unmet health care needs in Serbia ; Analysis based on EU-SILC data. 2017;1–20.
19. Jankovic J, Simic S, Marinkovic J. Inequalities that hurt : demographic , socio-economic and health status inequalities in the utilization of health services in Serbia. Eur J Public Health. 2009;20(4):389–96.
20. Hjern A, Grindefjord M, Sundberg H, Rose M. Social inequality in oral health and use of dental care in Sweden. 2001;(5):167–74.
21. Lundegren N, Axtelius B, Isberg P-E, Akerman S. Analysis of the perceived oral treatment need using Andersen’s behavioural model. Community Dent Health. 2013 Jun;30(2):102–7.
22. Al-haboubi M, Jones K, Gallagher JE. Inequalities in the use of dental services among adults in inner South East London. 2013;(i):176–81.
23. Jamieson LM, Thomson WM. Adult oral health inequalities described using area-based and Household-based socioeconomic status measures. J Public Health Dent. 2006;66(2):104–9.
24. Governmetn of Serbia. Government of Serbia. second National Report on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction in the Republic of Serbia. Belgrade; 2014.
25. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Population census of the Republic of Serbia 2011. Belgrade; 2011.
26. Petrovic BB, Peric TO, Markovic DLJ, Bajkin BB, Petrovic D, Blagojevic DB, et al. Research in Developmental Disabilities Unmet oral health needs among persons with intellectual disability. Res Dev Disabil. 2016;59:370–7.