Association between type of health insurance and dental visits among Ecuadorian older population: evidence from a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Dental services are often overlooked within healthcare systems, despite their critical role in overall health. Socioeconomic barriers and disparities in insurance coverage frequently limit access to oral care, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults. Objective...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20800-6 |
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| author | Marite Falquez Adriana Canessa-Rojas Antonio Lanata-Flores Freddy Espinoza-Carrasco Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda Karla Robles-Velasco Marco Faytong-Haro Claudia Reytor-González Daniel Simancas-Racines |
| author_facet | Marite Falquez Adriana Canessa-Rojas Antonio Lanata-Flores Freddy Espinoza-Carrasco Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda Karla Robles-Velasco Marco Faytong-Haro Claudia Reytor-González Daniel Simancas-Racines |
| author_sort | Marite Falquez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Dental services are often overlooked within healthcare systems, despite their critical role in overall health. Socioeconomic barriers and disparities in insurance coverage frequently limit access to oral care, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults. Objective To examine the impact of different health insurance types on the frequency of dental consultations among Ecuadorian senior citizens, aiming to highlight gaps in access to care. Methods Using the 2009 National Survey of Health, Well-being, and Aging (SABE), which aims to determine the health and living conditions of older individuals, this study analyzed the health insurance status and dental service visits of 4,565 older adults in Ecuador. Binary logistic regression was employed to explore the association between insurance type and dental-care utilization. Results In the sample, 76.50% of older adults had not visited a dentist in the past year. Insurance breakdown revealed 17.04% with general IESS, 9.59% with rural IESS, 2.23% with private insurance, 1.86% with ISSFA/ISSPOL, 1.86% with municipal insurance, and 69.66% were uninsured. Individuals with private insurance or ISSFA/ISSPOL insurance were 32% and 91% more likely, respectively, to seek oral care compared to those without these respective insurances. Conversely, uninsured individuals were 43% less likely to seek dental care than those with any type of insurance. Conclusion Health insurance significantly influences the frequency of dental consultations among Ecuadorian seniors, highlighting the need for policy interventions to ensure equitable access to oral care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1a58cce975b742d6b96193cd7ce82193 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-1a58cce975b742d6b96193cd7ce821932025-01-12T12:42:58ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-01-012511710.1186/s12889-024-20800-6Association between type of health insurance and dental visits among Ecuadorian older population: evidence from a cross-sectional studyMarite Falquez0Adriana Canessa-Rojas1Antonio Lanata-Flores2Freddy Espinoza-Carrasco3Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda4Karla Robles-Velasco5Marco Faytong-Haro6Claudia Reytor-González7Daniel Simancas-Racines8Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Espíritu SantoFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Espíritu SantoFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Espíritu Santo Facultad de Investigación, Universidad Estatal de MilagroFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Espíritu SantoFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Espíritu Santo Facultad de Investigación, Universidad Estatal de MilagroFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Centro de Investigación en Salud Pública y Epidemiología Clínica (CISPEC)Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Centro de Investigación en Salud Pública y Epidemiología Clínica (CISPEC)Abstract Background Dental services are often overlooked within healthcare systems, despite their critical role in overall health. Socioeconomic barriers and disparities in insurance coverage frequently limit access to oral care, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults. Objective To examine the impact of different health insurance types on the frequency of dental consultations among Ecuadorian senior citizens, aiming to highlight gaps in access to care. Methods Using the 2009 National Survey of Health, Well-being, and Aging (SABE), which aims to determine the health and living conditions of older individuals, this study analyzed the health insurance status and dental service visits of 4,565 older adults in Ecuador. Binary logistic regression was employed to explore the association between insurance type and dental-care utilization. Results In the sample, 76.50% of older adults had not visited a dentist in the past year. Insurance breakdown revealed 17.04% with general IESS, 9.59% with rural IESS, 2.23% with private insurance, 1.86% with ISSFA/ISSPOL, 1.86% with municipal insurance, and 69.66% were uninsured. Individuals with private insurance or ISSFA/ISSPOL insurance were 32% and 91% more likely, respectively, to seek oral care compared to those without these respective insurances. Conversely, uninsured individuals were 43% less likely to seek dental care than those with any type of insurance. Conclusion Health insurance significantly influences the frequency of dental consultations among Ecuadorian seniors, highlighting the need for policy interventions to ensure equitable access to oral care.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20800-6Health insuranceOral healthAccessibility barriersOlder populationEcuador |
| spellingShingle | Marite Falquez Adriana Canessa-Rojas Antonio Lanata-Flores Freddy Espinoza-Carrasco Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda Karla Robles-Velasco Marco Faytong-Haro Claudia Reytor-González Daniel Simancas-Racines Association between type of health insurance and dental visits among Ecuadorian older population: evidence from a cross-sectional study BMC Public Health Health insurance Oral health Accessibility barriers Older population Ecuador |
| title | Association between type of health insurance and dental visits among Ecuadorian older population: evidence from a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Association between type of health insurance and dental visits among Ecuadorian older population: evidence from a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Association between type of health insurance and dental visits among Ecuadorian older population: evidence from a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association between type of health insurance and dental visits among Ecuadorian older population: evidence from a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Association between type of health insurance and dental visits among Ecuadorian older population: evidence from a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | association between type of health insurance and dental visits among ecuadorian older population evidence from a cross sectional study |
| topic | Health insurance Oral health Accessibility barriers Older population Ecuador |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20800-6 |
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