Determinants of Postponed Dental Visits Due to Costs: Evidence from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Germany

Ghazal Aarabi, Richelle Valdez, Kristin Spinler, Carolin Walther, Udo Seedorf, Guido Heydecke, Hans-Helmut König and André Hajek
Additional contact information
Ghazal Aarabi: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Richelle Valdez: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Kristin Spinler: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Carolin Walther: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Udo Seedorf: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Guido Heydecke: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Hans-Helmut König: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
André Hajek: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-7

Abstract: High costs are an important reason patients postpone dental visits, which can lead to serious medical consequences. However, little is known about the determinants of postponing visits due to financial constraints longitudinally. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of postponing dental visits due to costs in older adults in Germany longitudinally. Data from wave 5 and 6 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe was used. The occurrence of postponed dental visits due to costs in the last 12 months served as the outcome measure. Socioeconomic and health-related explanatory variables were included. Conditional fixed effects logistic regression models were used (n = 362). Regressions showed that the likelihood of postponing dental visits due to costs increased with lower age, less chronic disease, and lower income. The outcome measure was neither associated with marital status nor self-rated health. Identifying the factors associated with postponed dental visits due to costs might help to mitigate this challenge. In the long term, this might help to maintain the well-being of older individuals.

Keywords: dental visits; dental care; dental health services; health services accessibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:18:p:3344-:d:266023

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