The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #65455

Elaine Jurkowski, PhD, School of Social Work, Southern Illinois University, Quigley 4, M/C 4329, Carbondale, IL 62901, (618) 453-2243, etjurkow@siu.edu, Charla J. Lautar, PhD, Health Care Professions, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, M/C 6615, Carbondale, IL 62901, and Sandra Nagel Beebe, RDH, PhD, Health Care Professions, Dental Hygiene, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 69 Roosevelt Rd., Carbondale, IL 62901.

Rural communities typically have limited access to oral health services due to a variety of factors including transportation, access to care and awareness of the importance and value of oral health. This study set out to identify various aspects of the oral health status of children (18 years and under) within two specific clinics, a University based dental hygiene Ateaching@ clinic and a Federally Qualified Health Clinic. Patterns of decayed, missing, filled (DMF) rates, sealants, and oral health status relative to payer, gender and race were examined to identify trends, similarities and differences at two points in time. Baseline data was collected in 1998 to determine if publicly available clinics were reaching low income and uninsured children. Data was compared after a series of interventions to target the indigent and low income to improve access, looking at children seen in public clinics once again in 2002. Preliminary finding suggest that despite efforts to improve the oral health status of this target group of children, the oral health status, has changed to a limited degree. Implications of the findings will be important in the development of education and public health prevention strategies within rural communities and how to reach those with low income or uninsured.

Learning Objectives:

• To be able to identify factors which play a role in access for children who are underserved in rural communities.
• To identify factors which impact access to care for children with limited access to oral health care.
• To articulate some strategies for effective interventions to reach uninsured children.

Keywords: Access to Care, Oral Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.