Acesso a serviços odontológicos por universitários com deficiência

Abstract

Introduction: In accessing healthcare services, especially dental care, inequities persist that go beyond the barriers imposed by social determinants, disproportionately affecting certain groups, such as people with disabilities (PwD). Objective: To understand access to dental services among students with disabilities at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), and its association with socioeconomic, demographic, and health-related characteristics. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study involving interviews with 43 self-identified undergraduate students with disabilities, enrolled from the 1st to the 10th academic period across all courses at UFRN. Descriptive analyses were performed for categorical variables, along with means and standard deviations for quantitative variables. To assess the association between independent variables and the time of last dental visit, bivariate analyses were conducted using the Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. Results: Most participants were male (56%), with a mean age of 30 years (SD=30.42), residing in the metropolitan area, and reporting a household income of up to one minimum wage. The majority rated their health as fair or poor, with physical disability being the most frequently reported type (n=19), and most classified their disability as mild (n=16). Private dental services were the most utilized (68%), primarily for treatment purposes (n=30). Bivariate analysis revealed a statistically significant association between the time of last dental visit and the perceived impact of disability on oral health (p=0.033). Conclusion: The perceived impact of disability on oral health showed a strong association with the increased need for more frequent access to dental services. However, socioeconomic, demographic, and general health conditions did not exhibit the same influence.