ABSTRACT

Objectives: Optimal utilization of available dental health services is paramount to improving. general health status. The study aims to investigate factors affecting the utilization of dental health services among African immigrants.

Method: The study adopted an exploratory research design of survey type, using a non-probability convenience and purposive sampling to select thirty-five (35) respondents for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics of Chi-square were adopted to analyze the stated hypothesis @0.05 level of significance.

Results: HO1 showed that the calculated Chi-square (χ2) value of 107.021 is greater than the table value of 9.49 @0.05 level of significance. This shows that accessibility to oral health services will significantly be a factor affecting the utilization of dental health services among African immigrants. HO2 shows that the calculated Chi-square (χ2) value of 156.61 is greater than the table value of 12.06 @0.05 level of significance. This shows that oral literacy will significantly be a factor affecting the utilization of dental health services among African immigrants.

Conclusion: The study found that access to dental health services and oral health literacy are associated factors that affect the utilization of dental health services among African immigrants. 

Keywords: Utilization, Dental health services, Oral health literacy, African immigrant

Author: Arenike Adekugbe and Oluwatosin Ayo-Okuwobi