Assessment of Barriers to Dental Care Among Children in Saudi Arabia Using Levesque's Framework: A Cross-Sectional...

Background/Objectives: Access to dental care is a multilevel challenge shaped by healthcare systems, individual characteristics, and broader social determinants. This study aimed to identify parent-reported barriers to dental care among a sample of children in Saudi Arabia using Levesque's Conceptual Framework for Access to Healthcare. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and April 2023 among parents of children aged 1-18 years. The 44-item survey assessed sociodemographic, oral health, and dental care utilization, organized using Levesque's access dimensions. Difficulty accessing needed dental care within the past 12 months served as the main outcome. The chi-square test was used to examine bivariate associations between potential barriers and difficulty accessing needed dental care. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with difficulty accessing needed dental care after adjustment for the other variables. Results: This study included 351 parents. The mean age of children was 10.7 ± 4.7 years, and 45.9% were male. One-third of parents reported difficulty accessing needed dental care for their children. The adjusted regression model identified fair/poor oral health (aOR = 13.39, 95% CI: 6.19-28.97), general health condition (aOR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.11-4.82), and the absence of a nearby dental clinic (aOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.11-3.90) as factors independently associated with difficulty accessing dental care. Conclusions: Applying Levesque's framework highlighted the multidimensional nature of barriers to accessing dental care for the study population. These findings provide preliminary evidence on parent-reported access barriers and may inform larger, representative studies and future policies to improve equitable pediatric oral healthcare in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.