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Variation in dental service provision among adult migrant public-funded patients
1AIHW Dental Statistics and Research Unit, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Objective:
To examine type of care, oral health status and service patterns by country of birth and language.
Methods:
A random sample of public-funded patients (n = 6, 109) was surveyed in 1995-96.
Results:
Emergency care was highest among overseas-born patients who spoke a non-English language at home; edentulism was highest among Australian-born/English only patients; while a higher percentage of Australian-born persons were in the periodontal health category (chi 2; p < 0.05). Differences in caries experience were generally small (ANOVA; p < 0.05). Service provision varied by country of birth/language after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, type of care, and oral health status in six service areas (logistic regression; p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Service patterns may reflect behavioural and cultural factors of patients or providers operating independently of socio-demographic and oral health status variables.
Implications:
Variation and potential inequality in service patterns related to cultural factors existed within a group of disadvantaged patients.