G-4087

Evaluation of the self-reported Oral Health and General Health Statues of Elderly Patients Visiting Healthcare Centers in Lahijan City in 2024

 Zahra Alizadeh ¹ ©, Mahnaz Pouresmaeil ², Atefeh Khoshkchali ³, Sana Mehdikhanlu ⁴ ℗, Arta Mehrpey Moghadam ⁴   

 
Abstract

Introduction:As the elderly population continues to grow,increasing attention is being directed toward their general and,especially,oral health status.Older adults constitute a priority group for oral and dental care services.Given the importance of this issue and the scarcity of foundational data in this area,the present study aimed to assess the self-reported oral and general health status of elderly individuals attending healthcare centers in the city of Lahijan. Methods and Materials:This descriptive-analytical(cross-sectional)study was conducted on 233 individuals over 60 years old who visited healthcare centers in Lahijan from January to March 2024.The method of selecting individuals was volunteer and convenience sampling.General health status was assessed using the standardized 12-Item Short Form Health Survey(SF-12),and oral health was evaluated using the Oral Health Impact Profile(OHIP-14),which measures oral health problems in older adults.The validity and reliability of these questionnaires have been evaluated by Dr.Montazeri and Dr.Fazlolahi,in that order.Data were analyzed using SPSS software,version 26.After assessing the normality of the quantitative variables,appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests were applied.Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to examine relationships between quantitative variables.To assess associations between quantitative and qualitative variables,t-tests and ANOVA were used.The chi-square test was employed to analyze associations between qualitative variables.A significance level of 0.05 was considered statistically meaningful. Results:Among the participants,51%(120 individuals)were women,and the mean age was 71 years.Seventy-five percent of participants reported having at least one chronic illness.The mean(standard deviation)scores for general health and oral health were 16 ±10 and 19 ±5,respectively.A significant inverse correlation was found between general health and oral health scores,such that with each unit increase in general health,oral health scores decreased by 0.36 points (p 0.001). General health in the elderly was significantly associated with gender,level of education,absence of chronic diseases,lack of dental prosthesis use,total number of teeth,number of posterior teeth,and difficulty chewing hard foods (p 0.05).A relatively strong and statistically significant inverse relationship was also observed between age and general health.Additionally,income and chewing ability were significantly associated with oral health (p 0.05). Elderly individuals who had full dentures in the lower jaw or who lacked partial dentures in the upper jaw demonstrated better oral health scores,and these associations were statistically significant (p 0.05). Conclusion and Discussion:The findings revealed that the oral health status of the elderly population was suboptimal,underscoring the need for increased attention to both the prevention of oral health issues and the promotion of oral health among older adults.Considering the restricted period and defined geographic area of the study,it is recommended that future studies assess broader and more diverse populations to enhance the generalizability of the results.

Keywords: Elderly; General Health; Oral Health