Time Elapsed Since the Last Dental Care Visit in Peruvian Older Adults: A Three-Year Analysis of a National Population Survey

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the time elapsed since the last dental care visit and its associated factors among older adults in Peru from 2019 to 2021. This was an analytical cross-sectional study utilizing secondary data analysis. The population comprised 210,862 records of older adults from 2019 to 2021, with a final sample of 11,215 records. The dependent variable was the time elapsed since the last dental care visit, while the independent variable was the year, with population characteristics included as covariates. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed. The mean time elapsed since the last dental care visit was 7.93 years ( SD = 8.03) in 2019, 7.93 years ( SD = 7.28) in 2020, and 7.76 years ( SD = 8.01) in 2021, with non-statistically significant difference between medians ( p = .050). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis indicated that a model incorporating year, health, geographic, and socio-demographic characteristics demonstrated a greater determination coefficient ( R2% = .90) and validity ( p < .001). The mean time elapsed since the last dental care visit among older adults in Peru was 7.93 years in both 2019 and 2020, and 7.76 years in 2021; geographic characteristics, wealth index, and age were identified as associated factors.