The health care utilization model: Application to dental care use for Black and Hispanic children.

Objectives: To explore the pathway associated with dental service use among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children, applying Andersen's model of health care service utilization.

Methods: Samples of Hispanic (n = 5,055) and non-Hispanic (NH) Black (n = 2,695) children aged 2-17 years from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) were included in this study. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the path of the relationship between dental care visits and the three groups of characteristics in Andersen's behavioral model.

Results: In the models for Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children, parents' educational attainment directly and positively affected income and having insurance. Also, insurance (Hispanic children: β = 0.17, P ≤ 0.01; NH Black children: β = 0.25, P ≤ 0.01) and age of the child (Hispanic children: β = 0.14, P ≤ 0.01; NH Black: β = 0.21, P ≤ 0.01) directly and positively affected dental care use. However, there was no direct effect of the need factor on dental care use in either model.

Conclusions: Children may receive dental services that eliminate acute dental problems, probably as a result of the ACA and CHIP coverage. The patterns of findings suggest the need for policy changes to improve pediatric dental coverage and promote professional recommendations for effective dental hygiene.