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Changes in Inequalities of Access to Dental Care in Australia 1977–2005
Author(s) -
FitzGerald Edmund Maurice,
Cunich Michelle,
Clarke Philip Miles
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
australian economic review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.308
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1467-8462
pISSN - 0004-9018
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8462.2011.00631.x
Subject(s) - inequality , commonwealth , dental care , index (typography) , health care , government (linguistics) , economic inequality , dental health , demographic economics , economics , medicine , political science , economic growth , dentistry , mathematics , law , mathematical analysis , linguistics , philosophy , world wide web , computer science
Information on dental visits, income and demographic variables were drawn from the Australian National Health Survey between 1977 and 2005. Income‐related inequality in access to dental care was calculated using the generalised concentration index (G) and decomposition methods were employed to examine associations with socio‐demographic and policy‐amenable factors. Statistically significant increases in inequality in dental care use were found after 1995. From 0.026 in 1995, G increased to 0.045 in 2005. The associations between increases in inequality and changes in the uptake of private health insurance suggest a contributory role of the introduction of the Commonwealth government's 30 per cent rebate for private health insurance.