Socioeconomic inequalities in the use of dental health care among the adult population in Serbia

ObjectivesThe aim of this paper is to assess the association of demografic and socioeconomic determinants with utilization of dental services among Serbian adults.Materials and methodsThe study is a part of the population health research of Serbia, conducted in the period from October to December 2019 by the Institute of Statistics of the Republic of Serbia in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr. Milan JovanovićBatut” and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia. The research was conducted as a descriptive, cross-sectional analytical study on a representative sample of the population of Serbia. For the purposes of this study, data on the adult population aged 20 years and older were used.ResultsMen were approximately 1.8 times more likely than women to not utilize dental healthcare services (OR = 1.81). The likelihood of not utilizing dental healthcare protection rises with increasing age, reaching its peak within the 65–74 age range (OR = 0.441), after which it declines. Individuals who have experienced marital dissolution due to divorce or the death of a spouse exhibit a higher probability of not utilizing health protection (OR = 1.868). As the level of education and wealth diminishes, the probability of abstaining from health protection increases by 5.8 times among respondents with an elementary school education (OR = 5.852) and 1.7 times among the most economically disadvantaged respondents (OR = 1.745). Regarding inactivity, respondents who are not employed have a 2.6-fold higher likelihood of not utilizing oral health care compared to employed respondents (OR = 2.610).ConclusionThe results suggest that individual sociodemographic factors influence utilization of dental services by Serbian adults and confirmed the existence of socioeconomic disparities

The impact of sociodemographic and health aspects on cognitive performance in the older adult population in the republic of Serbia

The aim of this study was to investigate how sociodemographic and health factors contribute cognitive abilities in the older population of the Republic of Serbia, using data from the 2019 national health survey. The study included 3,743 participants, of whom 2,061 (55.1%) were women and 1,682 (44.9%) were men. The median age of all participants was 72 (10) years. Study used logistic regression on cross-sectional data to analyze how education, social support, and healthcare access affect cognitive abilities, while adjusting for demographic variables. The results revealed negative associations between higher levels of education and lower odds of experiencing memory and concentration problems, while recent visits to specialists were positively associated with increased risk for the same. The highest percentage of participants (22.6%) reporting major difficulties in memory and concentration were in the age group of 85–89 years (p < 0.001). A statistically significant relationship was found between social support and issues related to memory and concentration (p < 0.001). Social support emerged as a significant factor in preserving cognitive abilities. The discussion underscores the need for a comprehensive approach in promoting cognitive health, taking into account education, social integration, and access to healthcare as key factors. The study acknowledges its limitations, including its cross-sectional nature and potential subjective biases in self-assessment of cognitive abilities. Future research should incorporate longitudinal studies and more objective measures of cognitive abilities