APPRAISAL OF ACCESS TO DENTAL SERVICES IN SOUTH EAST OF IRAN USING FIVE AS MODEL

BACKGROUND: Access to dental services not only refers to utilization but also to the extent by which the utilization is judged according to professional norms. This study aimed to study the access to dental services using the Five As model. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted in southeast of Iran. A sample of 400 subjects participated in the study according to a multistage sampling method. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using independent T test, ANOVA and multivariate linear regression models by means of SPSS V.20 software. FINDINGS: Affordability, availability, accessibility, accommodation and acceptability mean scores were 58.2±12.2, 53.9±12.9, 59.4±15.7, 60.2±8.6, 70±11.5 and 60.3±7.4 respectively. According to multivariate linear regression models, there was significant associations between affordability and age, education level, having basic insurance and family income. Moreover, total accessibility was significantly correlated with education and monthly family income. CONCLUSION: This study showed that access to dental services was at the moderate level among the studied population. It also revealed that age, basic insurance coverage, family income and level of education, are determinants of this accessibility.