TABLE 2.
Odds Ratios Comparing Participant Variables of Interest, by Use of Dental Care: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), 2002
| Odds Ratio Point Estimatesa |
|||
| Population Characteristics | Preventive Dental Care vs No Dental Care | Preventive Dental Care vs Only Nonpreventive Dental Care | Only Nonpreventive Dental Care vs No Dental Care |
| Intercept | 5.46** | 8.65** | 0.63** |
| Age, y | |||
| < 65 | 1.14 | 0.84 | 1.35* |
| 65–69 | 0.98 | 1.08 | 0.90 |
| 70–74 | 0.94 | 1.01 | 0.93 |
| 75–79 | 1.18* | 1.20 | 0.98 |
| > 79 (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Gender | |||
| Men | 0.72** | 0.72** | 1.00 |
| Women (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| Black, non-Hispanic | 0.32** | 0.38** | 0.84 |
| Hispanic | 0.74* | 0.55** | 1.35* |
| Other, non-Hispanic | 0.62** | 0.63* | 1.00 |
| White, non-Hispanic (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00) |
| Annual personal income | |||
| ≤ $10 000 | 0.19** | 0.40** | 0.46** |
| $10 001–$20 000 | 0.27** | 0.50** | 0.55** |
| $20 001–$35 000 | 0.49** | 0.71** | 0.69** |
| > $35 000 (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Education | |||
| Some or no high school | 0.21** | 0.50** | 0.42** |
| High school graduate | 0.49** | 0.74** | 0.66** |
| College graduate (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Marital status | |||
| Widowed/divorced | 0.85 | 1.01 | 0.85 |
| Never married | 1.32* | 1.63* | 0.81 |
| Married (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Household size | |||
| 1 | 1.46** | 1.29 | 1.13 |
| 2 | 1.31** | 1.27 | 1.03 |
| 3 or more (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Difficulty eating solid food because of teeth problems | |||
| Has difficulty | 0.69** | 0.35** | 1.93** |
| Does not have difficulty (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Health status | |||
| Fair/poor | 0.74** | 0.80 | 0.92 |
| Good | 0.95 | 0.84 | 0.94 |
| Excellent/very good (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Physical limitations | |||
| 3 or moreb | 0.71** | 0.78 | 0.91 |
| 2 | 0.90 | 0.83 | 1.09 |
| 1 | 1.03 | 0.99 | 1.05 |
| 0 (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Smoking status | |||
| Current smoker | 0.44** | 0.61** | 0.71* |
| Former smoker | 0.86* | 0.91 | 0.94 |
| Never smoker (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Community resident | |||
| Part year | 0.34** | 0.83 | 0.41** |
| Full year (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Note. The sample, which only includes full-year or part-year community-dwelling beneficiaries, consists of 9760 observations and excludes 822 persons with missing values for any independent variable from the initial analytic sample. Odds ratios are derived by multinomial logistic regression. The base case for the equation in the second and fourth columns is beneficiaries who did not visit the dentist during the year. The base case for the equation in the third column is beneficiaries who had only nonpreventive dental care. Pseudo-R2 = 0.13.
Odds ratio point estimates in second and fourth columns are estimates of (probability of preventive dental visit [or only nonpreventive dental care]/probability of no dental care) for persons with row characteristic divided by (probability of preventive dental visit [or only nonpreventive care]/probability of no dental care) for omitted characteristic from a multinomial logistic equation, with beneficiaries without dental care as the reference group. Estimates in third column are estimates of (probability of preventive dental visit/probability of only nonpreventive dental care) for persons with row characteristic divided by (probability of preventive dental visit/probability of only nonpreventive dental care) for omitted characteristic from a similar multinomial logistic equation, except with beneficiaries with only nonpreventive dental care as the reference group.
Physical limitations are defined as any difficulty with stooping/crouching, kneeling, lifting/carrying 10 pounds, extending arms above shoulders, writing/handling objects, or walking 0.25 miles or 2 to 3 blocks.
*P ≤ .05; **P ≤ .01.