Influência de fatores individuais e contextuais no uso de serviços odontológicos por adolescentes

Abstract

Adolescence is a phase where individuals are in the construction of habits related to health. Thus, health services must be closer and closer to this population. This study aims to evaluate whether individual and contextual factors influence the use of adolescent dental services. This 2-year follow-up cohort study comprised a random sample, in multiple stages, of 1,134 12-year-old adolescents from 20 public schools. Variables were collected in the same way in both collections and were obtained from exams performed on the individuals and from a semi-structured questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics answered by the parents. Contextual variables were obtained from the city's official database, including the average income of the neighborhood in which the school was located and the school's Basic School Development Index (IDEB). Multilevel Logistic Regression Models were constructed to test the association between the predictor variables assessed in the initial exam and the use of dental services at follow-up. A total of 770 adolescents were reevaluated after two years (follow-up rate of 68%). Adolescents who studied in schools with low IDEB, boys and whose parents had lower schooling sought less the dental service over time. The environment in which the adolescent is inserted, be it the family, as well as the school, can interfere in their search for dental care.