Association Between the Time Elapsed Since the Last Dental Visit and Prevalent Diseases in Peruvian Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between the time since the last dental visit and the prevalent systemic diseases among older Peruvian adults in 2023.

METHODS

A cross-sectional secondary analysis was conducted using data from the 2023 Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES), including a sample of 3666 older adults (OAs). The outcome was time since the last dental visit (years). The main exposure was prevalent systemic diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cataracts). Covariates included sociodemographic and access-related factors. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed, using a hierarchical linear regression model in Stata 18.

RESULTS

Mean time since the last dental visit was 7.94 years (SD = 7.98 years). No significant association was found between prevalent diseases and time since the last dental visit. In the adjusted model, shorter time since last visit was associated with higher altitude (β = -1.803; 95% CI: -2.422 to -1.184; p < 0.001), as well as with the wealth index (β = -0.924; 95% CI: -1.191 to -0.656; p < 0.001). Conversely, age showed a positive association (β = 0.883; 95% CI: 0.293 to 1.473; p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

Prevalent diseases were not associated with time since the last dental visit. Sociodemographic factors, particularly altitude, wealth, and age, were associated with dental service utilization, highlighting the role of structural determinants in access to care.