title: Prevalence and Factors Associated with the Utilization of Dental Care Services among Factory Workers in Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate, Pathumthani Province, Thailand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to find out the utilization prevalence of dental care services among factory workers over a period of one year and factors associated with utilization of dental care services.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional analytic study. The study population was factory workers in Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate randomly sampled using Probability Proportion to Size Cluster Sampling Method. The tool was a questionnaire about utilization of dental care services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the sample group of 1,500 workers from 16 factories, almost 2/3 (63.9%) had never used any dental care services in the previous year while only 36.1% did. A multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that workplace, accommodation, tooth decay, toothache history, transportation, experience in using social security fund for dental care services, availability and accessibility of dental care services, brushing teeth regularly after meals, using dental care services regularly in a dental clinic, and agreement with the idea that a tooth extraction and medication by a dentist could reduce the risk of progression of disease, statistical significance (p-value < 0.05), were factors associated with the utilization of dental care services at R2 (The Nagelkerke R Square) 0.38.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  That the prevalence of the factory workers who did not use dental care services during the last one year was 63.9 percent. This study identified three groups of factors associated with the utilization of dental care services as: 1) Predisposing factors, 2) Enabling factors, and 3) Need factors.
authors.forename: Jeeratip
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaidee
authors.forename: Amornrat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ratanasiri
authors.forename: Supaporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatrchaiwiwatana
authors.forename: Surasak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soonthon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D015995:Prevalence; D013785:Thailand; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult