Investigating the access barriers to oral and dental health services for children from the perspective of parents attending the health centers of Kerman

Abstract

Background: Oral health plays a key role in people’s overall health. Dental caries is the most
important problem in children’s oral health. Despite significant advances made in the area of oral
health around the world, there is inequality in access to oral health within Iran and abroad, and
this is considered a public health challenge. This study was conducted to investigate the access
barriers to children’s oral health services from the perspective of parents attending the health
centers of Kerman, Iran.
Materials and Methods: The present descriptive‑analytical study was carried out, as a cross‑sectional
survey, on 410 parents of children living in Kerman, Iran. The data were collected by access barriers
questionnaire, and then were analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive statistical methods and
the multiple linear regression test. Confidence interval (CI) in this study was 95% (95% CI).
Results: The most common access barrier to children’s oral health was the high treatment cost.
The access barriers to children’s oral health services were significantly associated with parental
education (P = 0.00), maternal employment (P = 0.04), supplementary insurance (P = 0.00), and family
income (P = 0.01). Parental satisfaction was also significantly correlated to the child’s sex (P = 0.04),
supplementary insurance (P = 0.04), and number of filled teeth (P = 0.04). The mean score of parental
satisfaction was 1.83 ± 0.34; within the range of 1–3 from satisfied to dissatisfied.
Conclusion: The cost of dental treatment services high and there are many barriers to accessing
children’s oral health.
Key Words: Child, oral health, personal satisfaction, rural health services