scholarly journals Assessment of Oral Health Literacy and Its Relationship with Oral Health Related Behaviour and Socioeconomic Status Among Students of A University in Chennai City

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 739-746
Author(s):  
R. Kesavan ◽  
Ramachandra Prabhakar ◽  
Preetha Chaly ◽  
R. Saravanan ◽  
A. Vinita Mary

Health literacy is the ability of a person to understand instructions on prescription, appointment cards, health education pamphlets, doctor’s directions and consent forms. A common reason for misunderstanding health instructions may be the patient’s low health literacy skills. Therefore the present study was conducted with the aim of assessing the oral health literacy and its association with socioeconomic status and Oral health related behaviour among University students in Chennai City. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among 362 students of a private University in Chennai City. The subjects were selected using stratified random sampling from different faculty of studies. Oral health literacy was assessed using a validated instrument, the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30). The overall mean REALD-30 score of the participants was 19.13+5.6. The mean REALD-30 scores were lowest among students in the low socioeconomic status and highest among those in high class. The Mean REALD-30 scores among participants who rinsed their mouth were higher than those who did not rinse. About 46% had oral pain or discomfort during the past one year and their mean OHL score was significantly higher than those who did not had any pain or discomfort. The present study concludes that the overall oral health literacy of the study population is moderate and it does have a relationship with socioeconomic status and oral health behaviour although the different educational categories don’t influence it. Further studies are required to establish one to one causal relationship.

Author(s):  
Azlan Jaafar ◽  
Normaliza Ab Malik ◽  
Aws Hashim Ali Al-Kadhim

Oral health literacy is the ability of an individual in making an appropriate decision to achieve optimum oral health. This study aimed to assess the oral health literacy and oral health status of undergraduate university students. This is a cross sectional study conducted among students from various faculties in USIM. A written consent was obtained before the administration of OHLI-M questionnaire via Google form. Oral examination was conducted after completing the questionnaire. A descriptive data analysis was performed to determine the adequacy of oral health literacy and oral health status among the students. A total of 280 students participated in this study. The mean age was 22 years old (SD=1.17) with the majority of them being female (82.1%) and coming from urban residences (57.1%). The prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease was 58.9% (95% CI= 53.2 to 64.6) and 13.2% (95% CI= 9.6 to 17.1) respectively. Students with adequate oral health literacy had better oral health status. Those with inadequate oral health literacy had a high percentage of dental caries.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-54
Author(s):  
A Raj ◽  
P Sugavanesh ◽  
PDM Kumar ◽  
SS Sivasamy ◽  
IN Balan

ABSTRACT Aim Poor oral health literacy can impede one's ability to seek oral health and make appropriate oral health care decisions. The study was conducted with an aim to assess and compare the oral health literacy among urban and peri-urban adult population in Chennai, India. Materials and Methods A cross sectional study was conducted among 100 subjects each selected from peri-urban and urban areas in Chennai city. The oral health literacy was assessed by administering the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30). The data obtained was analyzed using Mann Whitney U test. Results The mean oral health literacy score for peri-urban people was 2.7 ± 1.19 and for urban people was 6.35 ± 2.12 and this difference was statistically significant (z value -10.37, p value - 0.001). Conclusion The oral health literacy of peri-urban adult population was found to be low when compared to the urban population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (03) ◽  
pp. 439-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tayebeh Malek Mohammadi ◽  
Mahsa Malekmohammadi ◽  
Hamid Reza Hajizamani ◽  
Shahla Ayobi Mahani

ABSTRACT Objective: The present study aimed to assess oral health literacy level and its related factors among adult patients visiting Kerman Dental School. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Kerman Dental School clinic, among the first-time adult visitors. Individuals were selected randomly from volunteers who signed study consent forms. Background information and oral health literacy levels were acquired through the oral health literacy-adult questionnaire. Statistical analysis including the Chi-square test and independent t-test served for statistical evaluation of the study data. Results: Participants were 264 adults which consisted of 72.3% women and the mean age of 37 ± 8 years old. The mean oral health literacy score was 12.07 (out of 17), and 62.5% of the participants had an adequate oral health literacy level. There was a significant relationship between oral health literacy scores with gender, high level of education, and oral health behavior. Conclusion: The study participants had a good level of oral health literacy which can be correlated with their educational status and oral health information sources. An oral health educational program for less educated people is recommended.


2021 ◽  
pp. 108482232110084
Author(s):  
Agata Wilk ◽  
Lisa LaSpina ◽  
Linda D. Boyd ◽  
Jared Vineyard

This study aimed to explore the level of perceived oral health literacy (OHL) among caregivers of the homebound population in the Chicago metropolitan area and how caregivers’ OHL impacts their oral care to the homebound population. The relationships between demographic characteristics, perceived OHL levels, personal oral health behaviors, and oral health care to clients were also assessed. This cross-sectional survey research examined 69 caregivers of the homebound population employed by home health agencies. The OHL was determined by the validated Health Literacy in Dentistry Scale (HeLD-14). Independent t-tests, chi-square tests set at p < .05 significance level, and logistic regressions were used for analysis. The mean age of participants was 43. The HeLD-14 scores indicated a high perceived OHL among this group. Caregivers came from diverse groups, and the majority spoke a second language at home. About 93% performed oral self-care the recommended amount of time or more, while only 57% did it for their clients. Those who cleaned clients’ mouth twice a day had a higher OHL score ( M = 23 compared to M = 19). About 43% did not check for sores in the client’s mouth, and those who checked had a higher OHL score ( M = 25 compared to M = 19). Controlling for OHL, age was a good predictor of oral care frequency to clients. These findings provide current evidence and add to the body of knowledge on OHL among homebound individuals. The results provide insights for designing a preventive approach in oral health care to the homebound population.


2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110283
Author(s):  
Padmore Adusei Amoah ◽  
Adwoa Owusuaa Koduah ◽  
Razak M. Gyasi ◽  
Kingsley Atta Nyamekye ◽  
David R. Phillips

We examined the moderating role of social capital (SC) in the association of socioeconomic status (SES) and health literacy (HL) with oral health (OH) status and the intentions to use OH services (IUOHS) among older Ghanaians. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey ( n = 522) and analyzed using ordinal and binary logistic regressions. Bridging SC moderated the relationship between HL and oral health status ( B = 0. 0.117, p < .05) and the association of SES with IUOHS (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.144; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.027, 3.599]). Trust modified the association between HL and IUOHS (AOR = 1.051; 95% CI = [1.014, 3.789]). Bonding SC moderated the association between SES and oral health status (B = 0.180, p < .05). However, bonding SC negatively modified the association between SES and IUOHS (AOR = 0.961; 95% CI = [0.727, 0.997]). Cognitive and structural SC modify the associations of SES and HL with OH and IUOHS.


2020 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-225
Author(s):  
Fernanda Maria Rovai Bado ◽  
Maria Helena Ribeiro De Checchi ◽  
Karine Laura Cortellazzi ◽  
Xiangqun Ju ◽  
Lisa Jamieson ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 2737-2744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele Ristow Montes ◽  
Danielle Veiga Bonotto ◽  
Fernanda Morais Ferreira ◽  
José Vitor Nogara Borges Menezes ◽  
Fabian Calixto Fraiz

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between oral health literacy (OHL) among caregivers and untreated dental caries among preschoolers. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 415 preschool children and their caregivers from Curitiba, Brazil. The children were examined for dental caries and dental plaque. The caregivers’ OHL was evaluated using an instrument translated and validated for Brazilian Portuguese: the Brazilian Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30. The prevalence of children with untreated caries was 42.9% (95%CI: 38.1-47.7%). A low degree of OHL was found among 15.7% (95%CI: 12.2-19.2) of caregivers. The multivariable Poisson regression analysis indicated a higher prevalence of untreated caries among children whose caregivers had a low OHL (PR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.01-1.79), those with visible plaque (PR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.01-1.62) and those who never or only occasionally had their teeth brushed by their caregivers (PR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.16-1.91) in comparison to those without these conditions. In conclusion, a higher prevalence of untreated dental caries was found among preschool children whose caregivers had a low degree of OHL.


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