Enablers And Barriers To The Utilization Of Dental Services Among Patients At Hawa Memorial Saviour Hospital, East Akim Municipality-Eastern Region-Ghana

ABSTRACT

Background: The importance of oral health in relation to general well-being of an individual cannot be over emphasized. One of the significantly greatest public health problems of recent times is oral health diseases with its attendant increasing prevalence globally, and in Sub Saharan Africa.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess barriers and enablers to dental service utilization at Hawa Memorial Saviour Hospital, Osiem, East Akim Municipality; Eastern Region-Ghana.

Methods: The study was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted at the Hawa Memorial Saviour Hospital over a 23 day period between August and September, 2018. Systematic random sampling was used to select 113 study participants and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from these study participants. Study participants were non critically ill patients aged 18 years and above accessing dental services in the facility. Data was analyzed using STATA 15.0. Mean age and mean income were computed with their respective standard deviations. Proportion of adequate utilization was computed with a 95% confidence interval. Simple logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with utilization of dental services. Crude and adjusted Odds ratios were reported with 95% confidence intervals and statistical significance test set at p< 0.05.

Results: The mean age of respondents was 50.9 years ± 18.3 SD. Females were in the majority 68.1% (77/113). Most of the respondents were married making up 41.6% (47/113). Sixty two percent of the respondents were employed (71/113). Christians were the majority 92.0% (104/113). The mean income was GH¢765.0 ± 422.4SD. Twenty seven percent (31/113) of respondents adequately utilized dental services with a minimum of 2 visits per year. Majority of respondents utilized dental services due to chronic dental conditions 71.7% (81/113). About 78.8% (89/113) of

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respondents cited cost as a reason for inadequately utilizing dental services. Prior knowledge on existence of dental facility (aOR=9.94, 95% CI 2.11 – 46.64, p< 0.01) and amount paid out-of-pocket for dental services (aOR= 0.97, 95% CI 0.95 – 0.98, p< 0.0001) were significant predictors of dental services utilization.

Conclusions: The study found that, proportion of dental service utilization at Hawa Memorial Saviour Hospital was low. It also found out that cost was a major barrier to dental service utilization and awareness of the existence of the facility was an enabler for adequate utilization.

Recommendations: There is a need for awareness creation by management and staff to the general public on the existence of dental services at the Hawa Hospital.

The management of Hawa Memorial Saviour Hospital should take steps on having a policy that considers holistic dental care as part of primary health care covered by the National Health Insurance or other private insurance to reduce out of pocket financing of dental services by their clients.