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Category: Volume 06 Issue 09 September 2018
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Title: Barriers in Achieving Oral Health Care among Children with Low Socioeconomic Status: A Cross-sectional Study

Authors: Dr Ganga Dubey, Dr Divya S Sharma

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i9.61

Abstract

Introduction: Dental diseases poses a serious public health problem in children and thus children often remain deprived from oral health care due to various barriers like low socioeconomic status, parental ignorance, ill-literacy etc. which hinder them to receive optimum dental services. The Purpose of the present study is to determine these barriers which may help to provide comprehensive dental care to these children.

Aim: To find out the barriers of not attending dental clinics by the parents/caregivers of children belonging to low socioeconomic status.

Methods: For this study a structured validated, reliable and pre-tested close-ended questionnaire was employed to collect the data from the 200 parents belonging to the lower socioeconomic status in area of Gandhi Nagar, Indore. An informed consent was taken from participants. Interview method in their preferred language was used to collect the data. The questionnaire consisted of Socio-demographic information (viz name, age, gender, education, occupation of parents/caregivers), Knowledge and attitude regarding their oral health care, Perception regarding importance of visiting dental institute and reasons for non-utilization of oral health care services which included the various barriers. For Statistical analysis Chi-square test , Pearson’s correlation test and Internal consistency by using Cronbach alpha coefficient was used and p – value  ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Mean Age of study subjects was 25.65±1.94 yrs. There was equal distribution of males and females among subjects. Majority of them were illiterate and daily wage workers. Reliability analysis showing internal consistency was adequate: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.82, (recommended >0.70). Commonest reason for non utilization of dental services was lack of time followed by financial constraints and distance from dental clinics. There was a significant positive correlation observed between utilization of oral health care services by the parents /caregivers and utilization of oral health care services for their children (r=0.443; p value<0.001).

Conclusions: Parents have strong influence on the child oral health and there is the need of Community-based initiatives, including school-based programs to developing trust with providers and encouraging and supporting caregiver-controlled care.

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Corresponding Author

Dr Ganga Dubey

Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Sri Aurobindo College of Dentistry