Singer Emily, Panahi Samin, Spearman Brenda, Kamimura Akiko
Family and Consumer Studies, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
Epidemiology, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
Cureus. 2024 Dec 12;16(12):e75609. doi: 10.7759/cureus.75609. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Accessibility to dental care is vital for uninsured low-income individuals. There is a deficit of research that examines oral healthcare seeking during the COVID-19 pandemic among uninsured low-income individuals. The purpose of this study is to describe oral health-related issues among patients of a free clinic that does not provide dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The sample consists of 254 patients of a free clinic located in the Intermountain West. Data were collected by distributing self-administered paper surveys to patients 18 or older who spoke English and/or Spanish from December 2021 to May 2022.
Nearly 40% of study participants reported being long overdue for dental appointments, with many not receiving care within the past two years (n = 96, 37.8%). Less than 30% of free clinic patients had a dental appointment within the past six months (n = 73, 28.9%). Cost is the most substantial barrier for free clinic patients to receive dental care (n = 150, 60%).
This study's findings bridge the research gap on dental care experience during the pandemic among uninsured populations and are helpful in increasing knowledge for improving access to dental care at free clinics.
获得牙科护理对于未参保的低收入人群至关重要。目前缺乏关于新冠疫情期间未参保低收入人群寻求口腔医疗保健情况的研究。本研究的目的是描述一家在新冠疫情期间不提供牙科护理的免费诊所患者的口腔健康相关问题。
样本包括位于美国西部山间地区一家免费诊所的254名患者。2021年12月至2022年5月期间，通过向18岁及以上讲英语和/或西班牙语的患者发放自行填写的纸质调查问卷来收集数据。
近40%的研究参与者报告称早就该看牙了，许多人在过去两年内未接受过牙科护理（n = 96，37.8%）。不到30%的免费诊所患者在过去六个月内看过牙（n = 73，28.9%）。费用是免费诊所患者接受牙科护理的最大障碍（n = 150，60%）。
本研究结果填补了疫情期间未参保人群牙科护理体验方面的研究空白，有助于增加在免费诊所改善牙科护理可及性方面的知识。
