J Korean Acad Oral Health.  2022 Sep;46(3):121-128. 10.11149/jkaoh.2022.46.3.121.

Barriers to the utilization of dental services among international students of Korean universities

• Clemence N
• Choi YH
• Song KB

• KMID: 2534105
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11149/jkaoh.2022.46.3.121

Abstract

Objectives
International students attending Korean universities are sometimes not able to receive timely dental treatment, despite the need for dental treatment owing to various oral health problems. The purpose of the study was to identify various barriers to the regular use of dental services by international students in a metropolitan area of Korea.
Methods
Questionnaires, both online and offline, were sent to 500 foreign university students enrolled in five selected universities located in Daegu city and nearby areas, with a total of 19 valid responses received. The questionnaire consisted of 41 items, including demographic characteristics, oral hygiene-related behavior, barriers to dental services access, and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). The internal validity of each factor was 0.8 or higher (Cronbach Alpha α=0.86), confirming the reliability. All data were analyzed using IBM SPSS for Windows ver. 25.0 was used for analysis, and the statistical significance level was set to 0.05%.
Results
Among the international student participants, 69.5% did not visit the dentist during their stay in Korea, and those with low prevalence of gum bleeding and plaque were more likely to visit the dentist regularly. Financial problems and lack of knowledge and interest in oral health were significantly associated with the use of dental services. The revised model’s explanatory power was 20.3%.
Conclusions
In order to improve the oral and general health of international students residing in Korea, university level oral health education programs, oral health care centers, and governmental support programs should be implemented.

Keyword

Barriers; International students; Utilization of dental services

Reference

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