Oral health knowledge and oral health related quality of life of older adults

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between oral health knowledge and oral health related quality of life among older adults with different ethnicities living in San Bernardino County, California. There is a gap in oral health knowledge (OHK) and how it relates to perceived oral health related quality of life. Thus, there is a need to assess OHK as a component of oral health literacy and identify areas in which knowledge gaps exit to develop educational strategies that address the need of the elderly population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a cross‐sectional study that included adults 65 years and older using a validated “Comprehensive Measure of Oral Health Knowledge” (CMOHK) and an “Oral Health Profile Index” (OHIP‐14). Odds ratios were conducted to determine the factors associated with OHK. RESULTS: Mean OHK score were 16.8, 14.6, and 8.9 for Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanics, respectively. “Poor” OHK was significantly associated with participants over the age of 75 years (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.15–3.16), high school education or less (OR = 10.8; 95% CI: 5.92–19.84), minority ethnicity (OR = 7.3; 95% CI: 4.27–12.61), income less than $25,000 (OR = 10.7; 95% CI: 5.92–19.26), and reading ability less than “Excellent” (OR = 7.27; 95% CI: 4.35–12.14). Mean OHIP‐Severity scores were 7.4, 12.5, and 24.4 for Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanics, respectively. Respondents with Poor OHK were 5.17 times more likely to be identified with high levels of severity (Severity >10). CONCLUSION: It is imperative to develop communication strategies to inform older adults on oral health knowledge that provide equal opportunities for all ethnicities.