Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 84 | Published: 11 Oct 2026
Kersting Rose Otu1,&
1Ensign Global University, Kpong, Eastern Region, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Kersting Rose Out, Ensign Global University, Kpong, Eastern Region, Ghana, Email: kerstingotu@gmail.com
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Oct 2026, Published: 11 May 2026
Domain: Dental Health
Keywords: Oral health, dental service utilization, elderly, access to care, Ghana
©Kersting Rose Otu. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Kersting Rose Out et al., Access and utilization of dental health services among elderly residents in Suhum Municipality, Eastern Region of Ghana. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):84. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-0084
Oral health is often neglected among older adults, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In Ghana’s Suhum Municipality, elderly residents face barriers to dental care, including limited service availability, financial hardship, and low oral health literacy. This study assessed oral health knowledge and the factors influencing access to and utilization of dental services among elderly residents in Suhum Municipality.
A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly residents of Suhum Municipality in February 2025. A multistage sampling technique was used to select participants across five health facilities. Data were collected using structured questionnaires administered via KoboCollect and analyzed in STATA version 18. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, while chi-square tests and logistic regression examined associations with dental service utilization. Ethical approval was obtained prior to data collection.
Of 304 elderly respondents (58.9% female), 58.6% had heard of oral health and 51.6% demonstrated good oral health knowledge. However, only 24.0% had ever visited a dentist or oral health provider. Educational level, marital status, family support, knowledge of nearby facilities, proximity to providers, transportation, cost, fear, oral health knowledge, and employment status were significantly associated with utilization (p<0.05). In adjusted analysis, age 80 years and above (AOR=5.33, 95% CI: 1.22–23.31), tertiary education (AOR=6.98, 95% CI: 1.25–39.08), knowledge of a nearby facility (AOR=5.65, 95% CI: 2.25–14.24), and good oral health knowledge (AOR=5.36, 95% CI: 1.94–14.82) independently predicted utilization.
Dental service utilization among elderly residents in Suhum Municipality remains low despite moderate oral health awareness. Age, education, facility awareness, and oral health knowledge were key predictors of utilization. Targeted health education, improved awareness of available services, and strengthened community-based oral health programs are needed to enhance access for this population.
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