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Public dental programs for old‐age pensioners in Norway: sociopolitical opinion among recipients
Author(s) -
Rise Jostein
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1985.tb00410.x
Subject(s) - medicine , norwegian , dental care , public opinion , population , social welfare , perception , gerontology , demography , family medicine , environmental health , law , political science , philosophy , linguistics , neuroscience , politics , biology , sociology
In the adult Norwegian population there is substantial support for the expansion of public programs for old‐age pensioners. However, the perception of old‐age pensioners concerning dental services as social welfare institutions is practically unknown. The purpose of this study was to provide some tentative data on this sociopolitical issue. As part of a field experiment on delivery of dental services for old‐age pensioners in the county of Troms, the old‐age pensioners of one municipality ( n = 572) were asked about which strategy public authorities should adhere to when allocating dental care resources to old‐age pensioners. About 40% favored equal opportunities for all, while about 50% preferred dental services based upon need. This indicates a pattern of polarization, but this was not confirmed in a multivariate analysis (R 3 = 0.01), which might be interpreted as indifference to the issue on the part of a majority of the pensioners. Only one subgroup deviated significantly from the aggregate distribution: of those who were negative to the pensioner role, 68% favored need‐based dental services.