Dentistry

Utilization of oral health services and barriers among HIV patients visiting public and private health facilities in Kampala, Uganda

24^th International Conference on Dental Education

March 18-19, 2019 | Paris, France

Doreen Balemwa Ntale

Makerere University School of Public Health, Uganda

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Dentistry

Abstract:

The greatest burden of oral diseases is offered by the destitute and socially relegated populaces like people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs). The barriers to oral health care utilization among PLWHAs in the developed world are known, but those significant in the developing countries like Uganda are unclear. The current study was therefore designed to assess the level of utilization of oral health care and graduate its barriers among HIV patients attending public and private HIV Clinics in Kampala District. A cross sectional study in which adult PLWHAs revealed that the factors that were found to be significantly associated with not using oral health services (OHS) were; being female (PR=1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.32), not having an experience of dental/oral problems in the past 12 months (PR=2.16, 95% CI 1.83-2.54), longer time on ARVs (PR=1%, 95% CI 1.00-1.02), and preference to attend a private facility (PR=0.86, 95% CI 0.75-0.97). Results from this study have shown that a considerable proportion of PLWHAs are experiencing barriers to utilization of OHS. In addition, the Andersen model of health care utilization enabled the investigator identify the significant predictors of these barriers, which were mainly the predisposing including the socio-demographic, perceived need, and health system factors. However, there is a paucity of studies related to this, yet interventions/decisions regarding oral health interventions for PLWHAs should be based on evidence. This calls for further research on appropriateness, efficiency, acceptability, effectiveness, and equity of oral/dental services among PLWHAs.