Use of dental services by the Brazilian elderly: latent class analysis

To analyze the different profiles of dental service use by the Brazilian elderly and their possible association with sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, functionality and self-perception of oral health.

Cross-sectional population-based study, using secondary data from the National Health Survey (PNS) of 2013. The sample size was 2,969 elderly individuals. Latent Class Analysis was used to construct the dependent variable "profile of dental service use" from questions related to this profile. The independent variables formed 3 blocks: sociodemographic; comorbidities; functionalities and self-perception of oral health. The Rao-Scott Test and Standardized Residue Analysis tested the association. To measure the effect of covariates, Odds Ratio was estimated using a multiple hierarchical model of multinomial logistic regression. Significance level was 5%.

Three latent classes were identified: Direct Disbursement Profile, Health Plan Profile and the Unified Health System (SUS) Profile. White elderly people were associated with the Direct Disbursement and Health Plans profile. The Health Plan profile was more associated with the married marital status or living with a spouse. In the multiple model, low schooling was associated with the profile of SUS users and elderly people diagnosed with cancer with the Health Plan profile. Self-perceiving oral health as bad or very bad increased the chances of belonging to the SUS profile.

Latent Class Analysis proved to be a powerful strategy for a subtle and detailed understanding of the profile of dental service use and its relationship with associated factors.