Understanding the Link between Household Food Insecurity and Self-Rated Oral Health in Ghana

There is increasing scholarly attention on the role of food insecurity on the health of older adults in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. Yet, we know very little about the association between food insecurity and self-rated oral health. To address this void in the literature, this study uses a representative survey of adults aged 60 or older from three regions in Ghana to examine whether respondents who experienced household food insecurity rated their oral health as poor compared to their counterparts who did not. We found that 34% of respondents rated their oral health as poor, while 7%, 21%, and 36% experienced mild, moderate, and severe food insecurity, respectively. Moreover, the results from the logistic regression analysis showed that older adults who experienced mild (OR = 1.66, p < 0.05), moderate (OR = 2.06, p < 0.01), and severe (OR = 2.71, p < 0.01) food insecurity were more likely to self-rate their oral health as poor, compared to those who did not experience any type of food insecurity. Based on these findings, we discuss several implications for policymakers and directions for future research.