Structural determinants related to the rate of outpatient dental emergency consultation in a border area of Chile

• Autores: Moya Rivera, Patricia, Caro Cassali, Juan Carlos, Zamorano Vidal, Sebastián, Ponce Ibañez, Nicolás
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2025
• Institución: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
• Lenguaje: español; inglés
• OAI Identifier: oai:revistas.upch.edu.pe:article/6505
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistas.upch.edu.pe/index.php/REH/article/view/6505
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: emergencias; determinantes sociales de la salud; pobreza; medio rural; migración; emergencies; social determinants of health; poverty; rural areas; migration; emergências; determinantes sociais da saúde; meio rural; migração

Objective: To analyze the structural determinants associated with outpatient dental emergency (ODE) consultation in a border area of Chile between 2021 and 2024. Materials and methods: An ecological study was conducted using secondary data from the Monthly Statistical Report (REM) of the Chilean Ministry of Health. The study population consisted of beneficiaries of the public health system who were treated by outpatient dental emergency (ODE). ODE consultation rate was estimated was estimated in the region by sex and by municipality (per 1,000 beneficiaries), as well as the annual percentage variation (APV). A correlational analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between the ODE rate and structural determinants at the geographic level: Income poverty (IP), multidimensional poverty (MP), rurality, mean years of schooling at the municipality level, and the proportion of the migrant population. In addition, the rate ratio (RR) was calculated to compare the different categories of these determinants. Results: The outpatient dental emergency (ODE) consultation rate increased significantly between 2021 and 2024 (APV: 17.61%). Rural areas showed a rate 1.56 times higher than urban areas (p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was identified between the ODE rate and the income poverty (IP) (rho = 0.61), rurality (rho = 0.48), and municipality (rho = 0.55), and a significant negative correlation with the years of municipality schooling (rho = –0.45). Multidimensional poverty (MP) showed no significant correlation. The frequency of ODE consultations among the migrant population was higher in rural municipalities. Conclusions: Poverty, rurality, low educational level, and migration were identified as structural determinants that negatively impact oral health, as reflected in an increased demand for emergency care, possibly associated with barriers to accessing comprehensive dental services.