Abstract

PAREDES-SOLIS, Sergio; JUAREZ-SOTO, Patricia  and  MOSQUEDA-DOMINGUEZ, Ana I. Factors influencing pre-school children's attendance to public health services in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico. Rev. Odont. Mex [online]. 2015, vol.19, n.1, pp.8-14. ISSN 1870-199X.

Aim: The present articles purports the aim of identifying factors influencing pre-school children's attendance to the services of two public dental modules in the city of Acapulco, Guerrero, as well as identifying opportunity areas in order to improve dental care. Materials and methods: The present study was of a cross-section and exploratory nature. It was conducted on four pre-grade schools. A self-administered questionnaire was applied. Informers for the aforementioned questionnaire were the children's parents or tutors. Result variable was attendance of pre-school children to public dental services. Results: Data from 336 pre-school children were collected. One out of four pre-school children had attended dental services of the health center in the last 12 months. Lack of funds was the main reason mentioned for not bringing uninsured children to dental services. The facts of attending the same school during the former school year as well as parents having received treatment at the dental module, were influencing factors in the attendance of these pre-school children to the dental services. Conclusions: Users' previous contact with dental services in the school or in a dental office were factors which increased the likelihood of dental services use of preschool children at the health centers.

Keywords : Dental health; pre-school children; risk factors.

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