Oral health care utilization of Thai children 0-14 years old: analysis of the 2019 health and welfare survey data

Abstract

This analytical study aimed to explain oral health care utilization of Thai children 0-14 years old by its relationships among socio-demographic factors. The 2019 national health and welfare survey database of 27,960 households was used and weighted by age, sex and area structure to be national population. Describe the utilization and factors by descriptive statistic (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, percent, rate) and analyzed the relationships by multiple linear regression. The study performed during March to December 2019. The children utilized oral health care in the past year 12.20 persons per 100 population. Topical fluoride was the highest proportion care in last visit. Primary care unit having dental personnel provision and school were the highest proportion setting which children 0-3 and 4-14 years old utilized, respectively. Among the utilizer, 14.30 percent did not used their welfare or insurance benefit. In addition, 0.35 percent of the population had unmet oral treatment need. Children’s promotive and preventive care visit, householder’s work of agriculture and fishery, and householder’s oral health care visit significantly related to children’s oral health care visit with the coefficients of + 0.86, - 0.33, + 0.24 respectively. Factors significantly related to children’s oral health promotive and preventive care visits were householder’s USC benefit, living in Northeast, and householder’s promotive and preventive care visit with the coefficients of - 0.66, +0.28, +0.13 respectively. Therefore, the measures improving the service process of health facilities to reduce long waiting time should be performed parallel with increasing promotive and preventive care coverage by integrated home-based care according to households’ context which could reduce their barriers. keywords: oral health care, utilization, Thai children, health and welfare