Inequalities in Brazilian families’ income commitment to out-of-pocket spending on dental care

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate inequalities in the commitment of family income to private expenditures on dental care in Brazil. Data were analyzed from 55,970 Brazilian households that participated in the nationwide Family Budgets Survey in 2008-2009. The commitment of family income to private spending on dental care was calculated by dividing the mean annual per capita household spending on dental care by the mean annual per capita income, classified in four categories: > 0%, ≥ 5%, ≥ 10%, and ≥ 20%. Analysis of income commitment only included households with positive spending. Only 2,961 households (7%) reported positive spending on dental care. Mean annual per capita spending was BRL 42.19 (USD 12.78) overall and BRL 602.47 (USD 182.57) among those with positive spending. Households with the highest absolute expenditures on dental care were those from urban areas and the wealthiest quintile. Meanwhile, households with the highest proportional income commitment were from rural areas and the poorest quintile. Among those that reported positive spending, 55% of the households in the poorest quintile committed ≥ 20% of their income to dental care. The proportion was only 6% in the wealthiest quintile of the population. The poorest households in the wealthiest regions of Brazil (Central, South, and Southeast) showed the highest income commitments. There were striking socioeconomic inequalities in spending and income commitment to dental care. The evaluation of these inequalities is relevant for the evaluation and orientation of public health policies.