TITLE:
Use of Dental Health Services within the Past Year among Adults at Risk of Diabetes in the Alabama Black Belt
AUTHORS:
Irene Tamí-Maury, Ana de Oliveira, Connie Kohler, Herman Foushee, Max Michael
KEYWORDS:
Diabetes; Disparities; Rural; Use of Dental Services
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,
Vol.4 No.4,
April
3,
2014
ABSTRACT: Objective: We evaluated the use of dental health services within the past
year among adults at risk of diabetes in the Alabama Black Belt. Methods: Data
for this cross-sectional study was collected in 2005-2006 through the Flying
Sparks project. In addition to descriptive statistics and univariate analysis
(Chi-square), we used multiple logistic regression analysis to examine the
association between dental care use and diabetic status. Results: 1355
individuals responded the survey (mean age 51 years). 67.9% were females and
89.5% African-Americans. 16.7% reported history of diabetes. Overall, 54.5% of
individuals had visited a dentist within the past year. Adults with diabetes
were less likely than those without diabetes to have seen a dentist (13.4% vs
86.6%, p