State Key Laboratory of Oral Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Int Dent J. 2024 Oct;74(5):1089-1101. doi: 10.1016/j.identj.2024.03.009. Epub 2024 Apr 16.
Investigate the geographical distribution of private dental practices in major Chinese cities and analyze the variables influencing this distribution.
This study used Python to extract various types of Point of Interest (POI) data spanning from 2016 to 2022 from the AutoNavi map. A 1km*1km grid was constructed to establish the study sample. Additional spatial pattern data, including nighttime lighting, population, and air quality data, were integrated into this grid. Global Moran's I index was used to analyze the spatial autocorrelation. The spatial lag model was used to explore the influencing factors of private dental practice distribution.
This study reveals a specific clustering pattern for private dental practices in major Chinese cities. The primary influencing factors include nighttime lights, population density, and housing prices, suggesting that dental practices are typically concentrated in highly developed regions with dense populations and high housing costs. Additionally, we discovered that patterns vary across different metropolises, with the most pronounced clustering patterns and substantial inequalities found in the most developed areas.
This study establishes that factors such as regional development and population density positively correlate with private dental practice. Additionally, it reveals a strong mutual correlation in the clustering of dental practices, which does not show a substantial correlation with public resources. Finally, it suggests that the spatial heterogeneity pattern implies a rising necessity to tackle inequality issues within urban areas as economic development progresses.
调查中国主要城市私人牙科诊所的地理分布，并分析影响这种分布的变量。
本研究使用 Python 从高德地图中提取了 2016 年至 2022 年各种类型的兴趣点（POI）数据。构建了一个 1km*1km 的网格来建立研究样本。此外，还将夜间灯光、人口和空气质量等空间格局数据整合到该网格中。采用全局 Moran's I 指数分析空间自相关。使用空间滞后模型探索私人牙科诊所分布的影响因素。
本研究揭示了中国主要城市私人牙科诊所的特定聚类模式。主要影响因素包括夜间灯光、人口密度和房价，表明牙科诊所通常集中在人口密集、房价较高的发达地区。此外，我们发现不同大都市的模式存在差异，在最发达的地区，聚类模式最为明显，不平等程度也最高。
本研究表明，区域发展和人口密度等因素与私人牙科实践呈正相关。此外，还揭示了牙科实践聚类之间的强相互相关性，这与公共资源没有显著相关性。最后，研究结果表明，空间异质性模式表明随着经济发展，城市地区内部不平等问题的解决变得更加紧迫。
