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Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic oral health disparities among US older adults: oral health quality of life and dentition
Author(s) -
Huang Deborah L.,
Park Mijung
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/jphd.12072
Subject(s) - ethnic group , medicine , national health and nutrition examination survey , quality of life (healthcare) , gerontology , health equity , socioeconomic status , psychological intervention , poverty , oral health , demography , logistic regression , environmental health , public health , population , dentistry , nursing , psychiatry , sociology , anthropology , economics , economic growth
Objective This study aims to examine if older adults living in poverty and from minority racial/ethnic groups experienced disproportionately high rates of poor oral health outcomes measured by oral health quality of life ( OHQOL ) and number of permanent teeth. Methods Cross‐sectional analysis of 2,745 community‐dwelling adults aged ≥65 years from the N ational H ealth and N utrition E xamination S urvey ( NHANES ) 2005‐2008. Oral health outcomes were assessed by questionnaire using the NHANES ‐ O ral H ealth I mpact P rofile for OHQOL and standardized examination for dentition. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to determine the association between oral health outcomes and predictors of interest. All analyses were weighted to account for complex survey sampling methods. Results Both poverty and minority race/ethnicity were significantly associated with poor oral health outcomes in OHQOL and number of permanent teeth. Distribution of scores for each OHQOL domain varied by minority racial/ethnic group. Conclusions Oral health disparities persist in older adults living in poverty and among those from minority racial/ethnic groups. The racial/ethnic variation in OHQOL domains should be further examined to develop interventions to improve the oral health of these groups.