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Factors associated with self‐assessed oral health in the Japanese independent elderly
Author(s) -
Konishi Chisato,
Hakuta Chiyoko,
Ueno Masayuki,
Shinada Kayoko,
Wright Fredrick A. C.,
Kawaguchi Yoko
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
gerodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1741-2358
pISSN - 0734-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-2358.2009.00310.x
Subject(s) - medicine , oral health , oral examination , gerontology , descriptive statistics , test (biology) , quality of life (healthcare) , affect (linguistics) , activities of daily living , family medicine , physical therapy , nursing , psychology , paleontology , statistics , mathematics , communication , biology
doi:10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2009.00310.x
Factors associated with self‐assessed oral health in the Japanese independent elderlyObjectives: The purpose of this research was to analyse the relationship between oral health status, oral motor function, daily life situations and self‐assessed oral health. Materials and methods: A cross‐sectional survey was conducted on 190 independent elderly volunteers aged 62–99 years from senior citizen centres in Tokyo, Japan. A questionnaire survey and oral examination were conducted on each participant. For the descriptive analyses, Independent t ‐test and the chi‐squared test were used. Following that, using four latent variables, (oral health, oral function, daily life situations and chronic health condition), a structural equation modelling analysis (SEMA) was undertaken. Results: In the descriptive analyses, there were no significant differences between self‐assessed oral health and oral health status. However, there were significant differences between self‐assessed oral health and oral function and daily life situations. Findings from SEMA revealed that daily life situations and oral function have independent effects on self‐assessed oral health and that the relationship between self‐assessed oral health and oral health status was weak. Conclusions: Many factors affect self‐assessed oral health status. Dental clinicians and researchers should attempt to understand these factors and incorporate them into effective personal and population‐based oral health education and oral health promotion programmes.