ArticleBMC oral health2023
Oral healthcare seeking behavior of Malaysian adults in urban and rural areas: findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019.
Article in BMC oral health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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4 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Public Oral Healthcare Utilisation and Its Associated Factors in Malaysian Adults: A Time-Series Analysis (1992-2019).International dental journal · 2026Article
- Exploring the barriers and enablers of oral health care utilisation and safe oral sex practices among transgender women in Malaysia: a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Factors associated with annual eye examinations among known diabetics in Malaysia: a cross-sectional study from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023.International journal of ophthalmology · 2025Article
- Community Implementers as Dual Agents in an Oral Health Programme: A Qualitative Exploration.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
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3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
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Abstract
backgroundThe development and implementation of appropriate strategies to enhance oral health in the community can be aided by an understanding of oral healthcare seeking behavior among urban and rural populations. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with oral healthcare seeking behavior of the Malaysians in urban and rural locations who self-reported dental problems.
methodsThe National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, a cross-sectional nationwide household survey that focused on non-institutionalised Malaysians, provided the data for this study on adults in Malaysia who were 18 years of age and older. A two-stage stratified random sampling technique was employed to ensure national representativeness. Data was collected using a multilingual (Malay and English), structured, and validated questionnaire via face-to-face interviews from July to October 2019. The dependent variable was oral healthcare seeking behavior (sought oral healthcare and self-medication). Independent variables were predisposing, enabling and health needs factor based on Andersen's Behavioral Model. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics and oral healthcare seeking behavior of the respondents. The relationship between the independent and dependent variables were investigated using multivariable logistic regression analysis.
resultsThe analysis comprised a total of 10,134 respondents, representing about 18.2 million Malaysian adults aged 18 and above. The overall prevalence of Malaysian adults who self-reported dental problems was low (5.5%) and was slightly higher in the rural than urban population. Almost half sought treatment from healthcare practitioners, and almost a quarter self-medicated. Ethnicity was associated with seeking healthcare and self-medication among urban dwellers. Among the rural population, income level was associated with seeking healthcare while education level was associated with self-medication.
conclusionDisparities in oral healthcare seeking behaviors exist between Malaysians living in urban and rural areas. Future policies should adopt focused strategies that concentrate on oral healthcare accessibility and health literacy of the vulnerable and rural populations to achieve the best oral healthcare for this population group.
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