Table 2. Prevalence of Dental Care Use by Population Characteristics (Weighted Proportions), US Children Aged 2–17 Years (N = 132,763), by Data Cycle (2001−2005, 2006−2010, and 2011−2016), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2001 and 2016.
| Variable | 2001−2005 Use, % (95% CI) | 2006−2010 Use, % (95% CI) | 2011−2016 Use, % (95%CI) | P Value for Change From 2001–2005 to 2011–2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible sample size, n | 43,760 | 39,744 | 49,259 | — |
| Proportion with ≥1 visit | 50.1 (49.0–51.2) | 50.8 (49.7–51.9) | 53.5 (52.3–54.8) | <.001 |
| Race/ethnicitya | ||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 58.3 (56.8–59.7) | 56.9 (55.4–58.4) | 58.8 (57.0–60.5) | .66 |
| Non-Hispanic black | 36.8 (35.0–38.7) | 41.9 (40.0–43.7) | 44.4 (42.6–46.2) | <.001 |
| Hispanic | 36.2 (34.6–37.8) | 41.5 (39.9–43.1) | 47.9 (46.3–49.5) | <.001 |
| Asian | 43.2 (39.4–47.0) | 48.1 (43.0–53.6) | 52.0 (48.2–55.7) | .001 |
| Age, y | ||||
| 2–4 | 26.5 (25.0–28.0) | 29.7 (28.1–31.4) | 34.4 (32.6–36.2) | <.001 |
| 5–11 | 56.3 (54.9–57.7) | 56.5 (55.0–57.9) | 58.0 (56.5–59.5) | .09 |
| 12–17 | 54.3 (52.9–55.7) | 54.9 (53.4–56.4) | 57.6 (55.9–59.2) | .002 |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 49.0 (47.8–50.2) | 49.6 (48.3–51.0) | 52.7 (51.2–54.1) | <.001 |
| Female | 51.2 (49.9–52.6) | 52.1 (50.8–53.4) | 54.5 (53.1–55.8) | <.001 |
| Parent or guardian’s education | ||||
| <12th grade | 30.4 (28.6–32.1) | 36.8 (34.7–38.9) | 42.7 (40.6–44.8) | <.001 |
| 12th grade | 42.5 (40.9–44.0) | 42.2 (40.4–44.0) | 44.9 (42.9–46.8) | .05 |
| >12th grade | 59.8 (58.5–61.2) | 57.8 (56.4–59.1) | 58.3 (56.9–59.7) | .14 |
| Annual household incomeb | ||||
| Poor/low income | 36.0 (34.9–37.1) | 39.7 (38.4–41.1) | 44.9 (43.5–46.4) | <.001 |
| Middle income | 51.3 (49.5–53.1) | 51.9 (50.4–53.5) | 54.1 (52.3–55.9) | .03 |
| High income | 67.7 (66.0–69.3) | 65.7 (63.6–67.7) | 66.1 (64.2–68.0) | .14 |
| Health insurance | ||||
| Any private | 57.7 (56.5–59.0) | 57.9 (56.5–59.3) | 60.1 (58.5–61.6) | .03 |
| Public only | 37.4 (35.9–38.9) | 41.6 (40.0–43.2) | 46.3 (44.9–47.8) | <.001 |
| Uninsured | 26.2 (23.4–29.2) | 29.1 (25.9–32.5) | 28.7 (24.9–32.9) | .403 |
| Dental insurance | ||||
| Any | 58.2 (56.8–59.6) | 59.1 (57.5–60.6) | 61.0 (59.4–62.6) | .02 |
| None | 41.6 (40.3–42.9) | 43.5 (42.2–44.8) | 47.3 (46.0–48.6) | <.001 |
Abbreviation: —, not applicable.
a
All tests for differences in dental care use between a racial/ethnic group and non-Hispanic white children and adolescents were significant based on a 2-sided t test at P <.05 level of significance.
b
Defined as percentage of federal poverty level: low income, <200%; middle income, 200%−399%; high income, ≥400% (1).