Factors related to oral health-related quality of life of independent brazilian elderly

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  • Karla Giovana Bavaresco Ulinski
  • Mariele Andrade do Nascimento
  • Arinilson Moreira Chaves Lima
  • Benetti, Ana Raquel
  • Regina Célia Poli-Frederico
  • Karen Barros Parron Fernandes
  • Marina Lourdes Calvo Fracasso
  • Sandra Mara Maciel

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the factors associated with the impact of oral health on the quality of life in a sample of 504 Brazilian independent elderly. Data collection included oral examinations and structured interviews. The simplified form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to measure OHRQoL. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, use of dental services, and subjective measures of health was collected. Poisson regression within a hierarchical model was used to data analyses. The following variables were associated with a negative impact on OHRQoL: female gender (PR = 1.40; CI 95%: 1.11-1.77); lower class (PR = 1.58; CI 95%: 1.13-2.20); up to 3 occluding pairs of posterior teeth (PR = 1.88; CI 95%: 1.13-3.14); at least one untreated caries (PR = 1.28; CI 95%: 1.06-1.54); curative reasons for the last dental appointment (PR = 1.52; CI 95%: 1.15-2.00); poor self-perception of oral health (PR = 2.49; CI 95%: 1.92-3.24); and poor perception of dental care provided (PR = 1.34; CI 95%: 1.12-1.59). The younger elderly also noticed this negative impact. These findings showed that the clinical, sociodemographic, and subjective factors evaluated exerted a negative impact on OHRQoL in elderly people. Health authorities must address all these factors when planning interventions on oral health for this population.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Journal of Dentistry
Volume2013
Pages (from-to)705047
ISSN1687-8728
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

ID: 118463054