Geographic accessibility to public dental practices in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background It is impossible to attain good general health without maintaining oral health and this becomes problematic when dental services are located far from the population that needs to utilise them. This study aimed to assess the geographic accessibility of dental clinics located in public primary healthcare clinics (PHCs) and hospitals in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia and how long it takes to reach them by car and on foot. Methods The location of clinics and hospitals, maps of road systems, and the governorates' borders (administrative areas) within the Jazan region were downloaded using the QGIS mapping tool. The time taken to travel to the clinics and hospitals, either by driving or walking, was assessed. If the time was 30 min or less, residents in the area were classified as ‘serviced’. It was more than 30 min, they were ‘underserved’. Results Only 31% of Jazan residents were found to live in a serviced area if they drove to clinics and hospitals. Residents of Jazan's seven mountainous governorates were more likely to require services. Only 40% could drive less than 30 min to a primary health dental clinic. Only 19% of people could walk to a hospital in less than 30 min. Only two governorates had a majority of residents who lived in serviced areas. Conclusion The study demonstrates an accessibility issue, as many Jazan inhabitants must drive or walk for an extended period (> 30 min) to reach a healthcare facility, whether a primary health care centre or a hospital. This issue may result in many people not receiving necessary health care, compromising their oral health status. Additional research is needed to identify public, private and other health facilities in the region and the prevalence of oral disease.

WITHDRAWN: Assessing Equity in Unmet Needs for Non-Communicable Diseases Services in Saudi Arabia Using a National Household Survey (2019)

“…The available evidence on issues related to geographic accessibility could partially explain these ndings. Two GIS studies found issues related to geographic access to healthcare facilities in Western and Southern regions (31,32). In addition, primary care infrastructure and resource allocation differ across the regions, resulting in services variation and, consequently, disparities in health outcomes (18).…”

Distribution of dental practices in Jazan of Saudi Arabia: a GIS-based approach

“…While the majority of dental clinics are located within 5 and 15 km of the governorate’s centre, a few are situated beyond a 20 km radius from the centre, posing challenges in accessing dental care, particularly in rural areas. This finding is consistent with studies conducted in Jeddah [ 14 ] and Jazan [ 23 ], which found that several peripheral areas were underserved by healthcare facilities. Consequently, central areas are likely to be more crowded than other areas, leading to longer waiting times and far appointments.…”

“…According to a study conducted in Jazan, the ratio of MOH- affiliated dentists to people in the Jazan region is 1:6,600 [ 23 ]. However, when considering public and private dental clinics, as reported in the MOH statistical yearly book [ 17 ], the ratio in Jazan is 1:2422, similar to the ratio in the Eastern region (1:2477) and higher than the ratios in Riyadh and Jeddah, which are 1:1522 and 1:1688 respectively and also higher than the ratios found in the USA (1:1,639) [ 24 ], Netherlands (1:1818) [ 25 ], and the UK (1:1886) [ 26 ].…”

“…A similar study discovered that many residents of the Jazan governorate may need to drive for about 30 min to reach MOH PHCs. Moreover, the mountainous governorates of Al Aridah, Al Aydabi, Al Harth, Ar Rayth, Baysh, Fayfa, and Harub were found to have a large population with limited access to MOH PHCs [ 23 ]. This lack of access is likely due to the challenging driving conditions in these mountainous regions [ 23 ].…”

“…Moreover, the mountainous governorates of Al Aridah, Al Aydabi, Al Harth, Ar Rayth, Baysh, Fayfa, and Harub were found to have a large population with limited access to MOH PHCs [ 23 ]. This lack of access is likely due to the challenging driving conditions in these mountainous regions [ 23 ]. Dental clinics also underserve these mountainous and peripheral regions of the governorates.…”