Vanessa Muirhead|Carlos Quiñonez|Rafael Figueiredo|David Locker
Predictors of dental care utilization among working poor Canadians
McGill University|University of Toronto|University of Toronto|University of Toronto
abstract objective study used gelbergandersen behavioral model vulnerable populations identify predictors dental care utilization working poor canadians methods crosssectional stratified sampling study design telephone survey methodology used collect data nationally representative sample 1049 working poor individuals aged 18 64 years working poor persons worked 20 h week fulltime students annual family incomes lt 34 300 pretested questionnaire included sociodemographic items selfreported oral health measures two dental care utilization outcomes time since last dental visit usual reason dental visits results hierarchical stepwise logistic analyses identified independent predictors associated visiting dentist gt1 year ago male gender 163 p 0005 aged 2534 years 205 p 002 paying dental care cash credit 231 p lt 0001 past welfare recipients 165 p 003 lt21 teeth 423 p lt 0001 perceived need dental treatment or278 p lt 0001 sacrificing goods services pay dental treatment associated visiting dentist within past year predictors visiting dentist paintrouble lone parent status 404 p lt 0001 immigrant status 172 p 0006 paying dental care cash credit 271 p lt 0001 history inability afford dental care 162 p 001 satisfactorypoorvery poor selfrated oral health 210 p lt 0001 number teeth lt21 258 p lt 0001 perceived need dental treatment 299 p lt 0001 conclusions study identified predisposing enabling vulnerabilities jeopardize dental careseeking practices working poor persons dental care utilization associated relinquishing spending goods services suggests dental care utilization competing financial demand economically constrained adults