Utilization of dental services by the Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong under COVID-19

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this project was to investigate the utilization of dental services by the Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, to identify the barriers to their dental visits under COVID-19, and to provide appropriate oral health education to the project participants. Methods: We worked with a Catholic church to recruit the project participants, Filipino domestic helpers working in Hong Kong. An online questionnaire and oral health education pamphlets in e-version were distributed to the members of the St. Jude’s Church through email and the electronic media platform of the Church. The online questionnaire consisted of four sections: 1) background information; 2) utilization of dental services; 3) barriers to dental visits; and 4) contact information. After removing duplicate responses, the collected were analyzed with the use of a statistics software, SPSS for Windows. Results: Sixty-eight valid completed questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Majority (72%) of the respondents were aged above 40 and more than half (52%) of them had worked in Hong Kong for more than 10 years. Regarding the respondents’ utilization of dental services, most (57%) of them used to visit a dentist every time they returned to the Philippines. In contrast, less than half (46%) of them had ever visited a dentist in Hong Kong. Among these dental service users, one third (39%) did not visit a dentist regularly in Hong Kong, with a frequency of less than once a year. High dental treatment cost was regarded as the largest barrier with a mean score of 3.0 (out of a maximum score of 4), followed by the fear of COVID transmission with a mean score of 2.6. More than half (51.5%) of them stated that COVID had affected their dental visit behaviour to a large extent and the mean rating score was 3.0 (out of a maximum score of 4). Conclusion: There is no clear evidence for a significant change in the utilization of dental services before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 by the Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong, and their level of utilization of dental services in Hong Kong is low. Their main barriers to utilizing dental services in Hong Kong under COVID-19 are high treatment fees, fear of COVID transmission, and reduced availability of dentists. COVID-19 is perceived by the Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong to have affected their dental services utilization to a large extent.