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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
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Online Program

330465
Effects of Maternal Health on Child Utilization of Dental Care among Medicaid and CHIP Participants: Results from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH)


Monday, November 2, 2015

Devang Patel, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, FORT WORTH, TX
Mohammad Sadath, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Pearland, TX
Briar Deen, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
Alexis Rendon, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
Mark Lueke, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth
Hasita Patel, Morrisville, NC
Sharon Homan, MS, PhD, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas, Health Sciences Center, School of Public Health, Fort Worth, TX
Understanding the preventive dental healthcare utilization of children is essential to reducing child dental disease rates in low income families. Previous studies have not examined the relationship between the mother’s health status and the child’s dental care utilization. The aim of this study is to examine the association between maternal health status and use of preventive dental care among children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP programs.

We conducted a cross sectional study of children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP programs. A sample of 88,460 children was obtained from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). We used multivariable logistic regression modeling (SAS 9.3) to estimate the adjusted odds ratio for having at least one dental visit in the past 12 months associated with self-reported maternal health. We statistically adjusted for child’s age, sex, maternal education, family structure, and parental satisfaction with the child’s healthcare provider.

Our key result is that children of mothers with excellent or very good health were 2.48 times more likely (95% CI 1.41-4.38) to have visited the dentist in the last year as compared to children of mothers with poor general health. There was a 45% reduction in access to dental health care when maternal health status decreased from excellent or very good status to good or fair health status.

Our findings suggest that poor maternal health status decreases the likelihood that children will have an annual dental visit. Preventive dental outreach efforts and programs are needed to target these children.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Describe the characteristics of children associated with lower dental health care utilization. Demonstrate the efficacy of maternal health status to identify the subgroup of children lacking access to preventive dental health care for the low income families.

Keyword(s): Health Care Access, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working on maternal health and access to dental health care. I started this project along with the research team under the guidance of Dr. Sharon Homan, who has significant expertise in this area.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3109.0: Poster #3