Abstract
This descriptive study aimed to explore oral care utilization among children aged 5-14 years under
the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS) and the Universal Health Coverage System (UCS)
which have been implemented since 2001, using the data of 2003, 2007 and 2011 Health and Welfare Survey
conducted by the National Statistic Office. Members form households selected by stratified two-stage
sampling were interviewed. Total samples were 68,433; 69,679; and 71,847 persons, respectively, in which
there were 12,048; 11,395; and 10,489 persons respectively, in the 5-14 age group. The data were weighted
to represent total population.
Among three surveys, this age group had decreasing utilization rates and frequencies. The UC children
had lower utilization rate than those of CSMBS (14.89 vs. 22.35 persons/ 100 population, 11.99 vs.
20.26 persons/100 population, and 10.60 vs. 15.74 persons/100 population, respectively) as well as lower
frequency (0.23 vs. 0.40 visits/ per capita, 0.16 vs. 0.33 visits/ per capita and 0.15 vs. 0.27 visits per capita,
respectively). The greater differences were found in regional areas than in departmental areas.
The differences of utilization rates increased from 33.38 % to be 40.82 % in 2007 and decreased to be
32.66 % in 2011 while the frequency percent differences increased to be 51.52 and 44.44 % in 2007 and 2011,
respectively. These evidences indicated inequity of oral care accessibility between the two schemes.
