This study was conducted to identify the level of perception of barriers and their influencing factors among dental hygienists who provide visiting oral healthcare services, with the aim of suggesting directions for future service quality improvement ...
This study was conducted to identify the level of perception of barriers and their influencing factors among dental hygienists who provide visiting oral healthcare services, with the aim of suggesting directions for future service quality improvement and field-oriented institutional enhancement. A self-administered online survey was conducted on 102 dental hygienists nationwide from July 14 to September 10, 2025. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0, and the significance level was set at 0.05. The analysis methods included descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results are as follows.
The majority of the study participants were female (85.3%), aged in their 30s (45.1%), and worked in the Yeongnam region (55.9%). Visiting oral healthcare service activities were predominantly carried out as volunteer work (52.9%), and the performance frequency was low (two times a month or less) for 72.5% of the participants.
The dental hygienists' level of barrier perception averaged 51.42 points, indicating an above-average level, with 'inadequacy of institutions and systems' being the highest rated sub-domain. Analysis based on general characteristics revealed significant differences in barrier perception according to gender, age, region, work experience, experience in performing visiting oral healthcare services, and activity type(p<.05). Dental hygienists without service experience perceived barriers significantly higher than those with experience (t=-2.996, p<.01). There was also an observed tendency for participants in the volunteer activity type to perceive barriers higher than the primary/side job groups (F=12.392, p<.001).
The hierarchical multiple regression analysis confirmed that service experience (t=-2.707, p<.01), activity type (t=3.495, p<.001), and frequency of performance (t=-3.596, p<.001) were significant influencing factors. Specifically, the activity type (collaboration) increased the perception of barriers, while the frequency of performance decreased it.
In conclusion, the barriers perceived by dental hygienists are significantly influenced by the lack of institutional foundation and inadequate support systems rather than personal factors. Therefore, to enhance the quality of visiting oral healthcare services, it is necessary to establish a policy foundation, including the institutionalization of the service delivery system, strengthening support for manpower and equipment, improving the volunteer-centered operational structure, and establishing Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) systems.