Is there a gap between sexes regarding factors related to the unmet dental care needs of disabled adults? An analysis from a national survey on disabled persons

Abstract

Background Health status and health care utilization in people with disabilities are more likely to be poorer than those without disabilities. This study aims to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic information and the unmet dental care needs of people with disabilities and explore the effect of sex within this relationship. Methods The 2014 national survey of the disabled population was used, which separated unmet healthcare needs into medical and dental services. Unweighted samples included 6,824 people with disabilities in total and 6,555 (96.1% of the total, weighted as 6,583) people aged 20 years or older were selected as the study population. Frequency and chi-square tests were conducted to determine differences in the prevalence of unmet dental needs based on socioeconomic information, chronic diseases, and behavioral factors after applying weights. Logistic regressions were performed using an adjusted model with sociodemographic information, chronic diseases, and behavioral variables. All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). Results Analysis of the factors related to unmet dental care requirements revealed that they were higher in women and the elderly. In the logistic model, only disabled adults who were in the middle SES or diagnosed with hypertension did not show statistically significant differences by related factors after fully adjusting. Considering the interaction effect of age on unmet dental needs depending on sex differences, the odds ratio decreased for females with every annual increase in both models. Compared with the younger group, the older group showed a lower risk of having unmet dental needs, especially in females. Conclusions The factor most closely related to the unmet dental care needs of disabled people was socioeconomic problems. Its influence also differed by sex. Therefore, economic support measures and long-term policy consideration are needed to reduce the unmet dental care needs of disabled people and promote oral health.