Access to and utilization of oral health care by homeless children/families.
The Surgeon General called dental caries the silent epidemic, suffered disproportionately by the poor. Homeless mothers/children are especially vulnerable as they lack access to dental care. This prospective study elucidated predictors of access, oral health, and the effectiveness of shelter-based care. A convenience sample of 120 homeless families (children n=236) provided predictor factors at intake and one month later. Nearly half the children (n=98) had dental caries. Ten independent variables explained 33% of the variance of access barriers; the most influential were mental health (B=-.426), oral health beliefs (B=.243), and victimization (B=.185). Ten independent variables explained 24.3% of the variance of oral health: mother's age (B5.351), number of children at the shelter (B=.337), and race (B=.154) had the most influence. Shelter-based care was effective in improving access: 43% of families secured dental appointments and perceived access barriers decreased after shelter-based care (t=4.695; p=<.001).
DiMarco
Marguerite Ann
MA
The University of Akron College of Nursing, Akron, OH 44325-3701, USA. dimarco@uakron.edu
Ludington
Susan M
SM
Menke
Edna M
EM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008423:Maternal Age; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult