Socioeconomic demand model for dental visits

Area of Science:

• Health economics
• Dental public health
• Sociology of health

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing healthcare seeking behavior is crucial for resource allocation.
• Previous research on health services utilization has explored various socioeconomic determinants.
• Specific models for dental care demand, integrating socioeconomic and health status factors, are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop structural socioeconomic demand models for dental visits.
• To identify key explanatory variables influencing dental care utilization based on health service theories.
• To analyze the relationship between socioeconomic factors, attitudes, and dental visit behavior.

Main Methods:

• A sociodental survey was conducted among 841 employees at a Danish shipyard.
• Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 988 employees.
• Structural equations were estimated using multiple regression analysis and the two-stage least-squares method.

Main Results:

• Dental visits were significantly influenced by dental health status, perceived value of dental care, income, and the price of dental care.
• Dental health status was affected by the number of dental visits and age.
• Years of schooling positively influenced expectations about the value of dental care and early life dental care access.

Conclusions:

• Structural socioeconomic demand models for dental care are feasible and effective.
• Socioeconomic factors, health status, and perceived value are critical determinants of dental visit demand.
• Educational attainment plays a significant role in shaping attitudes towards and access to dental care.