The health care utilization model: Application to dental care use for Black and Hispanic children

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Pediatric Health

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing pediatric dental service utilization is crucial for addressing health disparities.
• Andersen's behavioral model provides a framework for analyzing healthcare access and use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the pathway of dental service use among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children.
• To apply Andersen's model of health care service utilization to pediatric dental care.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH).
• Included samples of Hispanic (n=5,055) and non-Hispanic Black (n=2,695) children aged 2-17 years.
• Employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine relationships within Andersen's model.

Main Results:

• Parental education positively affected income and insurance status for both groups.
• Insurance and child's age directly and positively influenced dental care use in both Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children.
• No direct effect of need factors on dental care use was observed.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest that insurance coverage and child's age are key determinants of pediatric dental service use.
• Policy changes are recommended to enhance pediatric dental coverage and promote oral hygiene.
• The study highlights the importance of socioeconomic factors in accessing dental care for minority children.