Mariño Rodrigo, Giacaman Rodrigo A
Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
Department of Oral Rehabilitation, University of Talca, Talca, Chile.
BMC Oral Health. 2017 Jan 9;17(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s12903-016-0329-2.
This paper describes the patterns of use of oral health care services among ambulant 65-74 years or older adults, living in the Maule Region of Chile, factors associated with their use of oral health care services, and self-reported barriers to using oral health care services.
Four hundred and thirty eight older adults, aged 65-74 years, living independently in the community were orally examined and underwent an oral health interview. Recency of visits was related to the use of oral health care services within the 12 months prior to the study.
31.5% of respondents had used oral health services in the previous 12 months. In multivariate analyses, those living in rural areas (OR = 2.15; 95% CI:1.27-3.63), and those with secondary or higher education (OR = 1.65; 95% CI:1.03-2.64) visited the dentist in the last 12 months in a higher proportion. Those with more filled tooth-surfaces were more likely to have visited the dentist (OR = 4.02; 95% CI;3.58-4.51). Participants who self-reported dental fear, were less likely to have visited the dentist than those who did not (OR = 0.43; 95% CI;0.24-0.76).
Comparing with existing data in Chile, participants in this study appear to have a slightly lower attendance. Findings question assumptions regarding oral health services utilization by rural residents and highlight the need to identify factors that influence the use of oral health services by older Chileans.
本文描述了居住在智利马乌莱地区65至74岁及以上非卧床老年人的口腔保健服务使用模式、与他们使用口腔保健服务相关的因素以及自我报告的使用口腔保健服务的障碍。
对438名年龄在65至74岁、独立生活在社区中的老年人进行了口腔检查，并进行了口腔健康访谈。就诊近期情况与研究前12个月内口腔保健服务的使用情况相关。
31.5%的受访者在过去12个月内使用过口腔服务。在多变量分析中，居住在农村地区的人（比值比[OR]=2.15；95%置信区间[CI]：1.27 - 3.63）以及受过中等或高等教育的人（OR = 1.65；95% CI：1.03 - 2.64）在过去12个月内看牙医的比例更高。补牙面更多的人看牙医的可能性更大（OR = 4.02；95% CI；3.58 - 4.51）。自我报告有牙科恐惧的参与者看牙医的可能性低于没有牙科恐惧的参与者（OR = 0.43；95% CI；0.24 - 0.76）。
与智利的现有数据相比，本研究中的参与者就诊率似乎略低。研究结果对有关农村居民口腔健康服务利用的假设提出了质疑，并强调需要确定影响智利老年人使用口腔健康服务的因素。
