PL EN
RESEARCH PAPER
Reasons why Poles do not use dental care
 
More details
Hide details
1
Zakład Zdrowia Publicznego,Uniwersytet Medyczny w Białymstoku
 
2
Łomżyńskie Centrum Medyczne Sp. z o.o.
 
3
Zakład Statystyki Medycznej i Informatyki, Uniwersytet Medyczny w Białymstoku
 
4
Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomii i Innowacji w Lublinie
 
5
Instytut Medycyny Wsi im. Witolda Chodźki w Lublinie
 
 
Corresponding author
Dorota Elżbieta Piotrowska   

Zakład Zdrowia Publicznego,Uniwersytet Medyczny w Białymstoku, UL.Szpitalna 37, 15-295 Białystok, Polska
 
 
Med Og Nauk Zdr. 2018;24(3):191-194
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Poles use dental services much less frequently than the residents of the majority of EU member states. This study aims to identify the reasons for the non-use of dental care, despite such a need in relation to socio-economic factors, such as income, place of residence, education, and age.

Material and methods:
The analysis consists in desk research based on a questionnaire survey conducted by the Polish Central Statistical Office (GUS) in 2013 on 12,532 individuals. The study examines the reasons for the non-use, relying on the replies provided by 528 respondents who admitted that they resigned from dental services despite such a need.

Results:
Income is a statistically significant determinant regarding the reasons for resignations from dental visits (p<0.001). Nearly 60% of the residents with the lowest income resigned from dental services due to their costs, whereas in the group with the highest income, this reason was indicated by only 30%. The impact of other socio-economic factors proved statistically insignificant regarding the reasons for the non-use (p>0.05).

Conclusions:
The differences in the reasons for not using dental services depended on the level of income, probably as a consequence of the exclusion of many dental services from the public health care financing mechanism. Analysis of the reasons for the non-use of dental services should be taken into consideration when planning interventions for reducing health inequalities

 
REFERENCES (19)
1.
Eurostat. Consultation of a dentist per inhabitant. http://appsso.euro¬stat.ec.eur... (dostęp: 23.04.2018).
 
2.
Malmo University. Oral Health Database. https://www.mah.se/CAPP/ Country-Oral-Health-Profiles/EURO/ (dostęp: 7.05.2018).
 
3.
Costa SM, Martins CC, Bonfim MdeLC, Zina LG, Paiva S, Pordeus I, Abreu M. A Systematic review of socioeconomic indicators and dental caries in adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2012; 9, s. 3540–3574.
 
4.
Veugelers P J, Yip A M. Socioeconomic disparities in health care use: Does universal coverage reduce inequalities in health? J Epidemiol Community Health 2003; 57: 424–428.
 
5.
Gaszyńska E, Wierzbicka M, Marczak M, Szatko F. Thirty years of evolution of oral health behaviours and dental caries in urban and rural areas in Poland. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2014; 21(3): 557–561.
 
6.
Bartnik E, Biedrzycki K, Bracisiewicz J, Chłoń-Domińczak A, Choińska-Mika J, Czajkowska M, Dąbrowski M et al. Raport o stanie edukacji 2010. Społeczeństwo w drodze do wiedzy. Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych, Warszawa 2011, s. 24.
 
7.
Gomes AP, da Silva EG, Gonçalves SH, Huhtala MF, Martinho FC, Gonçalves SE et al. Relationship between patient’s education level and knowledge on oral health preventive measures. Int Dent Med J Adv Res. 2015; 1: 1–7.
 
8.
Paulander J, Axelsson P, Lindhe J: Association between level of education and oral health status in 35-, 50-, 65- and 75-year-olds. J Clin Periodontol 2003; 30: 697–704.
 
9.
Świderska J, Świderski W, Gracz L, Kaczmarek-Wysocka J. Use of dental services reimbursed by the National Health Fund and health of the oral cavity of examined patient. Health and Wellness 2014(2); 171–181.
 
10.
Gracz L, Świderska J. Społeczne i ekonomiczne uwarunkowania podejmowania przez pacjentów leczenia stomatologicznego. Hygeia Public Health 2011; 46(1): 77–82.
 
11.
Świderska J, Świderski W, Gracz L, Kaczmarek-Wysocka J. The influence of income on the frequency of visits to a dentist and health of the oral cavity of examined patients.
 
12.
Piotrowska DE, Pędziński B, Jankowska D, Huzarska D, Charkiewicz AE, Szpak AS. Socio-economic inequalities in the use of dental care in urban and rural areas in Poland. Ann Agric Environ Med. doi: 10.26444/aaem/89917.
 
13.
Panasiuk L, Kosiniak-Kamysz W, Horoch A, Paprzycki P, Karwat D. Tooth loss among adult rural and urban inhabitants of the Lublin Region. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2013; 20(3): 637–641.
 
14.
Kamińska A, Szalewski L, Batkowska J, Wallner J, Wallner E, Szabelska A, Borowicz J. The dependence of dental caries on oral hygiene habits in preschool children from urban and rural areas in Poland. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2016; 23(4): 660–665.
 
15.
Gaszyńska E, Wierzbicka M, Marczak M, Szatko F. Thirty years of evolution of oral health behaviours and dental caries in urban and rural areas in Poland. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2014; 21(3): 557–562.
 
16.
Eurostat. Self-reported unmet needs for dental examination by sex, age, main reason declared and educational attainment level. http://appsso. eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=hlth_silc_16&lang=en (dostęp: 7.05.2018).
 
17.
Wołoszyn A, Głowicka-Wołoszyn R. Dochód i wykształcenie jako determinanty stopy oszczędności gospodarstw domowych w Polsce. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecońskiego nr 855 Finanse, Rynki Finansowe, Ubezpieczenia nr 74, t. 1 (2015). doi: 10.18276/frfu.2015.74/1–64.
 
18.
Wałęga A. Wykształcenie jako determinanta poziomu i struktury wydatków gospodarstw domowych. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Krakowie nr 817; 2010.
 
19.
Tchicaya A, Lorentz N: Socioeconomic inequalities in the non-use of dental care in Europe. Int J Equity Health 2014, 13(1): 7–10. 1186/1475- 9276-13-7.
 
eISSN:2084-4905
ISSN:2083-4543
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top