IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i21p11437-d668805.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Parents’ Willingness to Invest in Primary Oral Health Prevention for Their Preschool Children

Author

Listed:
  • Peggy C.J.M. van Spreuwel

    (Research Group Innovation in Preventive Care, Utrecht University of Applied Science (HU), 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands
    Department of Oral Public Health, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Katarina Jerković-Ćosić

    (Research Group Innovation in Preventive Care, Utrecht University of Applied Science (HU), 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Cor van Loveren

    (Department of Preventive Dentistry, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Geert J.M.G. van der Heijden

    (Department of Oral Public Health, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

There is growing evidence for the beneficial effects of starting oral health prevention early in life. Preventing dental caries in very young children requires considerable investment from parents. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to explore parents’ willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to invest in time (WTIT) for primary oral health prevention in preschool children and describe whether these are related to the parents’ demographic, socio-economic and behavioural characteristics. In a convenience sample of parents of preschool children aged six months to four years ( n = 142), data were collected with questionnaires. On average, parents were willing to pay EUR15.84 per month, invest time for 1.9 dental visits per year, and spend 2.4 min per day brushing their child’s teeth. A higher education level of the mother and having a child older than two were associated with a higher WTIT in brushing minutes per day ( p = 0.03). In addition, parents who brushed their child’s teeth more frequently were also more willing to invest in brushing minutes ( p < 0.01) and money ( p < 0.01). Findings emphasise the importance of early oral health interventions and the need to increase awareness of primary prevention’s importance in maintaining healthy teeth and reducing possibly oral health inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Peggy C.J.M. van Spreuwel & Katarina Jerković-Ćosić & Cor van Loveren & Geert J.M.G. van der Heijden, 2021. "Parents’ Willingness to Invest in Primary Oral Health Prevention for Their Preschool Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-11, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11437-:d:668805
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11437/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11437/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tianviwat, Sukanya & Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi & Birch, Stephen, 2008. "Prevention versus cure: Measuring parental preferences for sealants and fillings as treatments for childhood caries in Southern Thailand," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 64-71, April.
    2. Debby Helvoort-Postulart & Carmen Dirksen & Alfons Kessels & Jos Engelshoven & M. Myriam Hunink, 2009. "A comparison between willingness to pay and willingness to give up time," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 10(1), pages 81-91, February.
    3. Cameron, Trudy Ann & Huppert, Daniel D., 1989. "OLS versus ML estimation of non-market resource values with payment card interval data," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 230-246, November.
    4. Ryan, Mandy & Scott, David A. & Donaldson, Cam, 2004. "Valuing health care using willingness to pay: a comparison of the payment card and dichotomous choice methods," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 237-258, March.
    5. Klose, Thomas, 1999. "The contingent valuation method in health care," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 97-123, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rashmita Basu, 2013. "Willingness-to-pay to prevent Alzheimer’s disease: a contingent valuation approach," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 233-245, December.
    2. Alene Sze Jing Yong & Yi Heng Lim & Mark Wing Loong Cheong & Ednin Hamzah & Siew Li Teoh, 2022. "Willingness-to-pay for cancer treatment and outcome: a systematic review," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 23(6), pages 1037-1057, August.
    3. Nir Becker & Yael Choresh & Ofer Bahat & Moshe Inbar, 2010. "Cost benefit analysis of conservation efforts to preserve an endangered species: The Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Israel," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 55-70, April.
    4. Paul Dolan & Robert Metcalfe, 2008. "Comparing Willingness-to-Pay and Subjective Well-Being in the Context of Non-Market Goods," CEP Discussion Papers dp0890, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    5. Watson, Verity & Ryan, Mandy, 2007. "Exploring preference anomalies in double bounded contingent valuation," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 463-482, May.
    6. Lehrer, David & Becker, Nir & Bar, Pua, 2010. "The economic impact of the invasion of Acacia saligna in Israel," MPRA Paper 33954, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Donfouet, Hermann Pythagore Pierre & Mohamed, Shukri F. & Otieno, Peter & Wambiya, Elvis & Mutua, Martin Kavao & Danaei, Goodarz, 2020. "Economic valuation of setting up a social health enterprise in urban poor-resource setting in Kenya," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    8. Mandy Ryan & Mabelle Amaya‐Amaya, 2005. "‘Threats’ to and hopes for estimating benefits," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(6), pages 609-619, June.
    9. Obinna Onwujekwe & Benjamin Uzochukwu, 2004. "Stated and actual altruistic willingness to pay for insecticide‐treated nets in Nigeria: validity of open‐ended and binary with follow‐up questions," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(5), pages 477-492, May.
    10. Frör, Oliver, 2008. "Bounded rationality in contingent valuation: Empirical evidence using cognitive psychology," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1-2), pages 570-581, December.
    11. Stewart, Jennifer M. & O'Shea, Eamon & Donaldson, Cam & Shackley, Phil, 2002. "Do ordering effects matter in willingness-to-pay studies of health care?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 585-599, July.
    12. Mataria, Awad & Donaldson, Cam & Luchini, Stephane & Moatti, Jean-Paul, 2004. "A stated preference approach to assessing health care-quality improvements in Palestine: from theoretical validity to policy implications," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1285-1311, November.
    13. Baranzini, Andrea & Faust, Anne-Kathrin & Huberman, David, 2010. "Tropical forest conservation: Attitudes and preferences," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 370-376, June.
    14. SuZanne Troske & Stephanie Waters & James Allen & Alison Davis & C. Jill Stowe, 2019. "Central Kentuckians’ Willingness to Pay for Horse Farm Preservation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-15, September.
    15. Awad Mataria & Stéphane Luchini & Yousef Daoud & Jean‐Paul Moatti, 2007. "Demand assessment and price‐elasticity estimation of quality‐improved primary health care in palestine: a contribution from the contingent valuation method," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(10), pages 1051-1068, October.
    16. Joan Costa‐Font & Caroline Rudisill & Sayward Harrison & Luca Salmasi, 2023. "The social value of a SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine: Willingness to pay estimates from four western countries," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(8), pages 1818-1835, August.
    17. Callan, Aoife & O'Shea, Eamon, 2015. "Willingness to pay for telecare programmes to support independent living: Results from a contingent valuation study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 94-102.
    18. Dolan, Paul & Metcalf, Robert, 2008. "Comparing willingness-to-pay and subjective well-being in the context of non-market goods," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 28504, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Farr, Marina & Stoeckl, Natalie & Alam Beg, Rabiul, 2014. "The non-consumptive (tourism) ‘value’ of marine species in the Northern section of the Great Barrier Reef," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 89-103.
    20. Awad Mataria & Stéphane Luchini & Yousef Daoud & Jean-Paul Moatti, 2007. "Demand assessment and price-elasticity estimation of quality-improved primary health care in palestine: a contribution from the contingent valuation method," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(10), pages 1051-1068.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11437-:d:668805. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.