title: Provision of care to the underserved populations by National Health Service Corps alumni dentists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined factors associated with dentists continuing to provide care to the underserved populations beyond their National Health Service Corps (NHSC) obligation period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered questionnaires were mailed in 1998 to 404 dentists who had completed their service obligation between 1980 and 1997. The outcome variable was dentist self-report of continuing to work with the underserved population past NHSC obligation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 249 respondents (62% response rate), 46 percent of alumni dentists continued to work with an underserved population. Multivariate analyses found that being an African American (odds ratio [OR] = 3.2), higher final salary during the NHSC assignment (OR = 1.2), and higher altruistic motivation to work with the underserved populations prior to entering NHSC (OR = 1.1) were significantly associated with continued service to the underserved populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A small number of factors were associated with alumni NHSC dentists' decisions to continue to provide care for the underserved populations. Targeting African-American students and students interested in caring for the underserved may improve the long-term commitment of dentists to provide care for the underserved populations. Attention will also need to be given to increased salary as a potential intervention to increase the numbers of dentists who continue to serve the underserved populations.
authors: Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, 725 Airport Road, CB#7590, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590, USA. mofidi@mail.schsr.unc.edu
authors: Mahyar
authors: M
authors: Mofidi
authors: Thomas R
authors: TR
authors: Konrad
authors: Deborah S
authors: DS
authors: Porterfield
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Niska
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Wells
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000533:Altruism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002321:Career Choice; D003815:Dentists; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014488:United States Health Resources and Services Administration; D000078329:Workforce