198038 Unmet Oral Health Need among Homeless Veterans: Who are at Risk?

Monday, November 9, 2009

Usha Sambamoorthi, PhD , Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Englishtown, NJ
Anna Kline, PhD , Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, UMDNJ, New Brunswick, NJ
Rosalie Torres-Stone, PhD , Center for Mental Health Services Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
Adrienne Vaiana, BA , Department of Pyschiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
Douglas Ziedonis, MD, MPH , Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
David Smelson, PsyD , Center for Mental Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
OBJECTIVE: Examine the rates of unmet need for oral health among homeless veterans and assess subgroups, who may be particularly at risk.

METHODS: Data are from a prospective longitudinal study on 385 homeless veterans enrolled in Maintaining Independence and Sobriety through Systems Integration, Outreach, and Networking between 2005 and 2008. Unmet need for oral health was measured by responses to queries on whether the respondent received dental care services in six months prior to intake and if they didn't receive whether they needed the care. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were performed to analyze the relationship between unmet need and demographic, socioeconomic, and health status characteristics.

FINDINGS: Overall, 23% reported receiving dental care 6 months prior to intake. Of those who did not receive dental care, 76% reported needing the service. Veterans who were employed reported lower rates of unmet need and individuals with medical problems reported higher rates of unmet need. After adjusting for demographic, socio-economic status, and health status, those who were employed were less likely to report unmet need (AOR = 0.38 and p = 0.07). However, individuals with medical problems as measured by hospitalizations indicated greater unmet need (AOR = 2.29 p < .0.05).

CONCLUSION: Unmet need for oral health is very high in the homeless population. Unmet need for oral health was equally likely in almost all of the subgroups.

IMPLICATION: Linkage and out-reach efforts need to routinely integrate dental care in programs.

Learning Objectives:
Measure unmet need for oral health Describe unmet need for oral health in different subgroups Examine the relationship between unmet need for oral health and demographic, socioeconomic, and health status characteristics.

Keywords: Oral Health Needs, Access to Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Conceptualization of the problem, analysis and writing of the abstract
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.

See more of: Oral Health Needs of Adults and Elderly
See more of: Oral Health