• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.571-580
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with unmet dental needs among adults with activity limitations. Methods: Data were obtained from the seventh Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The final sample consisted of 945 adults aged 20 years or older with limited activity. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the influence of predisposing, enabling, and need factors on unmet dental needs. Results: The proportion of adults with unmet dental needs during the last year was 52.2% in the middle-aged group and 45.5% in the older adult group. Higher household income was associated with fewer unmet dental needs in both groups. In the older adult group, married people were less likely to have unmet dental needs. In the middle-aged group, adults who perceived their oral health as poor were more likely to have unmet dental needs. Conclusions: All three factors (predisposing, enabling, and need) were found to be associated with unmet dental needs among adults with activity limitations. Special efforts should be made to improve access to dental care services for middle-aged adults with activity limitations.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.355-360
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine unmet dental care needs and related factors among adults in Korea. The study included a nationally representative sample of Koreans (Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2104). The dependent variable was unmet dental care need and the independent variables were socioeconomic status and oral health status. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the associations between explanatory variables and unmet dental care needs. The major causes of unmet dental care needs included economic burden, work life, and academic reasons; in addition, dental treatment was considered to have lower priority. The factors that had statistically significant relationships with unmet dental care needs were sex, age, self-rated oral health status, and difficulty in mastication. The findings of the study, suggest a need for lower dental insurance copayments in keeping with the policies and principles aimed at strengthening the national health insurance system. In addition, groups with limited access to dental services should be identified, and effective health care policies and services should be established for these individuals.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.182-187
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• 2018

As the elderly population increases, they are increasingly affected by oral health problems. Therefore, efforts are being made to improve the oral health of older people, alleviate mental discomfort, and reduce unmet dental needs. This study was conducted to confirm the relationship between the National Health Insurance Elderly Denture Coverage and the unmet dental need for the edentulous elderly, as part of the protection policy. We analyzed the 2011 and 2013 Community Health Survey data of the edentulous elderly, aged 75 years or older, before 2012. In order to more precisely confirm the effects of the denture donation policy on unmet dental care, basic life recipients who were subject to the free elderly prosthetic project were excluded from the analysis. The final analysis included 20,400 subjects. According to our investigation of the factors that affect the unmet dental needs of the elderly, the National Health Insurance Elderly Denture Coverage did not affect unmet dental needs. The statistically significant variables that affected the unmet dental needs of the elderly were education and income levels, which are representative socioeconomic status variables. The lower the level of education, the unhealthier the dental care experience, and income levels showed a similar tendency. The elderly who have a low socioeconomic status are more likely to experience unmet dental needs because they lack the knowledge and socioeconomic ability to pay for dental care. Therefore, the policy for health protection of the entire elderly population should be continuously expanded. In addition, the socioeconomically vulnerable groups may have health problems due to the restriction of medical use, which may lead to quality of life deterioration.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.48-59
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• 2019

Background: The purpose of this study is to provide the data for discussions related to oral health promotion policies for single-person households by analyzing the status of unmet dental needs and related factors in single-person households in Korea, based on the Anderson model. Methods: The data, obtained from 544 single-person households of those over 20 years old who were targeted for the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, were analyzed through a complex sample frequency analysis, complex sample cross analysis (Rao-Scott chi-square test), and complex sample binary logistic regression analysis on a complex sampling design. Results: The most frequently given reason for an unmet dental need among single-person households was economic (52.4%). Factors related to the unmet dental needs of single-person households are smoking, which is a predisposing factor; personal income levels, which are an enabling factor; chewing discomfort; and limited daily activities, which are need factors. Smokers, the high-income group, the chewing-discomfort group, and the limited activity group showed high unmet dental care experience. Smokers had a 2.75 times higher rate of unmet dental care than non-smokers, and the high-income group had a 5.29 times higher rate of unmet dental needs than the median group. The rate of unmet dental needs for the chewing discomfort group was 3.27 times higher than the non-chewing discomfort group, and the limited activity group had a 7.87 times higher rate of unmet dental needs than the non-limited activity group. Conclusion: It is necessary to map out policies designed to help maintain and promote met dental needs considered to be internally heterogeneous to single-person householders, based on the Anderson model.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Dental Administration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2020

This study is conducted on 1,725 elderly people over 65 years of age using 2018 data obtained from the 7th National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) data. In this study, an analysis is performed considering the general characteristics of the elderly and their oral health status (authoring discomfort, speech problems, etc.) to confirm the relationship between the elderly's unmet dental experience and depressive experience. The results of this study showed that depressive experiences by the elderly resulted in unmet dental medical experiences, and it was also found that the income level and the complaint of chewing discomfort had an effect. Based on these results, it is believed that oral health policies should be developed to improve the unmet dental medical experience by considering the socio-economic level of the elderly and depressive experiences. This policy development is expected to lead not only to the improvement of oral health for the elderly, but also to improve the quality of life for the elderly through health promotion.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.243-256
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to determine and facilitate provisions for the unmet dental needs of Koreans, stratified by time, influencing factors, and research trends, through a systematic review of related published studies since 2006. Methods: this review focused on previous studies published between January 2006 and November 2019 that analyzed influencing the factors underlying the unmet dental needs of koreans. We followed the guidelines set for each phase of research and selected the final 32 studies that met the selection criteria for the analysis. Results: The number of studies has rapidly increased since 2015 (22 studies, 68.7%). the were 68.9% in 2006, 25.9% in 2009, 41.3% in 2010- 2012, and 33.3% in 2013-2015 for adults and 27.9% in 2010, 24.6% in 2015, and 16.1% in 2017 for the rates of older adults. the rates of unmet dental needs related to economic factors, were 38.6% in 2006, 41.4% in 2007-2009, and 35.9% in 2013-2015 for adults and 50.5% in 2010 and 41.2% in 2015 for the older adults. There were common influencing factors for unmet dental needs. the rate of unmet dental needs was increased by with female gender, younger age, single marital status, low family income, low educational level, worsened subjective health condition, and the presence of chronic diseases. Conclusions: Standardized studies with more accurate definitions and assessment tools are required. however, our study emphasizes the need for a policy intervention that accounts for the characteristics of subjects to reduce unmet dental needs.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.167-174
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the accessibility of dental care services among individuals with precarious employment in South Korea. Methods: We used the $9^{th}$ wave of the Korean Health Panel data (2015) and included 7,736 wage and non-wage earners in our study. We determined precariousness in the labor market as a combination of employment relationship and job income, and categorized individuals based on this into the following four groups: Group A comprising those who report job and income security, Group B comprising those who experience job insecurity alone, Group C comprising those who report a stable job but low income, and Group D comprising those who experience both job and income insecurity. Accessibility to dental care services was determined by experience of unmet dental care needs and unmet dental care needs caused primarily by financial burden. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effect of precarious work on access to dental care services. Results: Individuals with job insecurity (Group B; OR=1.445; 95% CI=1.22-1.70) and both job and income insecurity (Group D; OR=1.899; 95% CI=1.61-2.24) were more likely to have unmet needs than the comparison group. Both groups B and D were also 2.048 (95% CI=1.57-2.66) times and 4.435 (95% CI =3.46-5.68) times more likely, respectively, to have unmet dental care needs caused by financial burden. Education status, health insurance, and health status were all also effective factors influencing unmet dental care needs. Conclusions: Unstable employment and low income resulted in diminished access to dental care services. Therefore, governments should consider health policy solutions to reduce barriers preventing individuals with employment and income instability from accessing adequate dental care.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.360-370
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• 2020

In order to understand the factors related to the unmet dental needs, analysis was performed using the data of community health survey data. Targeting population of 214,861 aged 25 and over demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, social support, social environmental factors, social and physical environmental factors, and factors related to necessary unmet dental needs visit it was confirmed. The lower the age, the higher the income level, the lower the education level, the less contact with relatives and friends, the less likely they are to participate in relatives and leisure activities, dissatisfied with sociophysical environment(safety level, natural environment, living environment, public transportation, medical services) the higher unmet dental needs. It was confirmed that not only demographic and socioeconomic factors but also social support, social environmental factors, social and physical environmental factors had a statistically significant impact on the need of unmet dental needs. Future research that includes policy factors as social determinants of health will be needed as a way to increase the unmet dental needs.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.413-425
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• 2011

Purpose: This study conducted a survey on the elderly with physical debilities, who are in a medically vulnerable social class, to examine closely their demo-sociological characteristics, unmet needs, dental states, and living qualities and satisfaction levels relating to oral health and social supports to them, and also to prepare the basis for effective public medical policies and health improvement programs aimed at improving the quality of life for the elderly with physical debilities. Methods: Twenty-two elderly care facilities within Jeju Special Self-Government Province participated in the survey. Between 11 January and 5 March 2010, a total of 250 elderly persons(65 and over) with physical debilities were interviewed and their dental health was checked. Results: The results of the survey are as follows. The need for social support for dental care of the elderly with physical debilities was high in the medical institution-supported service (49.6%). The unmet needs for physical care were high in bathing (49.6%) and using public transportation (71.6%). More than half of these surveyed had ten or fewer teeth. The survey found that 31.6% of the participants experienced problems eating, due to poor dental health. Concerning quality of life, 30.5% of those surveyed experienced physical pain. Conclusion: In summary, the ages of the survey participants directly relates to the degree of behavioral debility experienced. The more debility a participant exhibits, the greater is the need for social support and dental care. The dental health of a participant directly relates to a higher quality of life. Good dental health of a participant translate to better quality of life. In light of the fact that the elderly with physical debilities suffer from a lack of accessibility to medical care and worse oral health than do other elderly persons, it is essential to increase accessibility to medical institutions that can provide such services as door to door dental care. Current insurance policies, funding for denture insurance, and free denture and denture-upgrade programs desperately need to be expanded. Therefore, to improve effectively the quality of life for the elderly with physical debilities civil dental medical resources should be encouraged to provide inclusive and prevention-focused medical care. In the public domain, door to door dental care services and cooperation with civil dental care resources need to be improved to increase impartial accessibility to dental medical institutions.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine any possible differences among adolescents in unmet dental care needs according to their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and oral health status and influential factors on the basis of the fifth national health and nutrition examination survey data. The findings of the study were as follows: Unmet dental care needs were accounted for 19.84 percent. As for the reason, many replied that they couldn't afford to leave school during school hours, and economic factors. As a result of analyzing what affected their unmet dental care needs, this experience was more common in the older age groups than in the 6~12 years age group, and the experience was less common in the respondents with a larger income. As for the subjective oral health status, the experience was 0.61-fold and 0.72-fold less in the respondents who perceived their health as fair or good than who thought their health was poor respectively. And there was a tendency that getting regular dental checkups led to 0.22-fold less experience. Given the above-mentioned findings, the kind of policy that makes dental care services more accessible to youth in consideration of socioeconomic circumstances should be carried out. As many of the adolescents couldn't leave school during school hours, schools should be equipped with dental clinics to improve accessibility to dental care services.