Socioeconomic demand model for dental visits.
The purpose of the present study was to develop structural socioeconomic demand models for dental visits. The explanatory variables were chosen selectively from the various theories concerning health services utilization. The models were constructed on data from a sociodental survey carried out among workers and staff members at a Danish shipyard. A sample of 988 employees was drawn by stratified random sampling and 841 persons were interviewed regarding dental visits and attitudes towards teeth and dental health services. The structural equations were estimated by means of multiple regression analysis using the two-stage least-squares method. Dental visits were influenced by dental health status, expectations about value of dental care, income, and price of dental care. Dental health was affected by the number of dental visits and age. Residence in rural areas during childhood and age had a negative effect on dental care early in life while years of schooling had a positive effect. Years of schooling had also a positive effect on expectations about value of dental care. The present study has shown that it is possible to construct structural models for the demand for dental care.
D001294:Attitude to Health; D003718:Denmark; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005250:Fees, Dental; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors