Distribution of Edentulism by the Macro Determinants of Health in 204 Countries and Territories: An Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study.

OBJECTIVE: To carry out a comprehensive description of edentulism estimates by the macro determinants of health in 2000, 2010 and 2019 worldwide. METHODS: This ecological study analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) to describe the incidence rate, prevalence rate and years lived with disability (YLDs) rate due to edentulism by macro determinants of health (governance, macroeconomic policy, social policy, public policies, societal values), for 204 countries and territories. The estimates were reported as rates (cases/100,000 people), for people of both sexes aged 55 years or older. RESULTS: Countries belonging to the least privileged categories of the macro determinants showed the lowest prevalence rate, incidence rate, and YLD rate due to edentulism for all exposures. Countries with low government expenditure on health showed the lowest prevalence rate of edentulism in 2000 (18,972.1; 95 %CI 15,960.0 - 21,984.3) and 2010 (16,646.8; 95 %CI: 14,218.3-19,075.4) than those with high government expenditure on health in 2000 (25,196.6; 95 %CI: 23,226.9 - 27,166.2) and 2010 (21,014.7; 95 %CI: 19,317.9 - 22,711.5). Countries with low SDI showed the lowest YLDs in 2000 (321.0, 95 %CI: 260.1- 381.9), 2010 (332.0; 95 %CI: 267.7-396.3), and 2019 (331.6; 95 %CI: 266.6-396.5). CONCLUSION: The findings point to persistent inequalities in the distribution of edentulism between countries worldwide. The most privileged countries, with higher economic development, better governance, and better social and public policies, have shown higher rates of edentulism. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This model must be reconsidered by advancing toward upstream and midstream strategies, beyond its conventional downstream clinical interventions.

Psychosocial aspects associated with self-reported oral health in Brazilians older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Oral health conditions can be determined by a series of factors that include psychosocial aspects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between psychosocial aspects and self-reported oral health in Brazilian older adults. METHODS: The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSI-Brazil) baseline data was analysed to develop this cross-sectional study. The outcome was self-reported oral health, and the psychosocial aspects included neighbourhood trust, life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. The associations were determined through Poisson regression models, controlling for socioeconomic, demographic and behavioural characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 9365 individuals with aged 50 years or over were included in this study. Individuals with good life satisfaction had 16% (PR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.78-0.90) lower prevalence of having poor self-reported oral health. Individuals who have depressive symptoms and do not trust in the neighbourhood presented 17% (PR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09-1.25) and 12% (PR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.04-1.21) higher prevalence of poor self-report oral health compared to those who did not show depressive symptoms and trust the neighbourhood. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that positive psychosocial aspects are moderately associated with better self-reported oral health. Therefore, we suggest that psychological health and social interaction should be present in public health policy actions.

Preventive dental service use and oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian older adults.

BACKGROUND: Information on the use of preventive dental services and associated variables is needed to guide policy for the old adult population and consequently promote better oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between preventive dental service use and OHRQoL by older Brazilians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out using the baseline data of participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Stud of Aging (ELSEI-Brazil) who were aged 60 years or more. Associations with the use of preventive dental services were carried out using Poisson regression models with robust variance, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 5432 older adults. Almost all (90.7%) participants reported not having sought preventive dental services in the last year. Individuals who used dental services for prevention had fewer impacts on their OHRQoL (RR: 0.74; [95% CI: 0.57-0.97]). CONCLUSION: Preventive dental service use is associated with a better OHRQoL in older Brazilians. Policies to improve access to preventive dental services may result in improved OHRQoL in this age group.

Association between frailty and oral health services use in Brazilian older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between frailty and oral health services use in Brazilian older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analysed the baseline data from the Longitudinal Study on Brazilian Ageing (ELSI-Brazil) representative of Brazilians aged 50 or over. The outcome was oral health services used in the year prior to the interview. The main exposure variable was Frailty defined by the frailty phenotype. Age, skin colour, wealth, sex, education, type of service, health insurance, number of teeth and self-perceived oral health were included as covariates. Prevalence ratios (PR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variance. RESULTS: 8405 individuals were included in this study. The prevalence of frailty was 7.5%. Regarding frailty status, the prevalence of dental service use was 47.0%, 48.5% and 4.5% for robust, pre-frail and frail individuals, respectively. Frail individuals had a 7% higher prevalence of not using dental (PR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01-1.13) than robust individuals. Frailty was independently associated with not using oral health services. CONCLUSION: Given the complexity of the determinants of dental service use, frailty adds another dimension to be examined in older adults. Public health strategies considering a common risk factor approach should be endorsed.

Wealth index association with self-reported oral health between white and non-white older Brazilians.

This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the association between self-reported oral health status and a wealth index among white and non-white older adults in Brazil. Data from individual assessments of 9,365 Brazilians aged 50 years or older were analyzed. Poisson regression models were performed to estimate the prevalence ratio between wealth index and self-reported oral health among whites and non-whites adjusted for intermediate and proximal determinants. The total prevalence of poor self-reported oral health on white and non-white individuals was 41.6% (95%CI: 40.0-43.4) and 48% (95%CI: 47.1-49.8) respectively. The adjusted analysis showed that, for whites, the wealth index is associated with self-reported oral health since individuals in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th quintiles have 25% (PR = 0.75; 95%CI: 0.65-0.88), 20% (PR = 0.80; 95%CI: 0.67-0.95), and 39% (PR = 0.61; 95%CI: 0.50-0.75) lower prevalence of poor self-reported oral health than those in the poorest quintile. For non-white individuals, the wealth index is associated with self-reported oral health only for those in the 5th quintile, with 25% (PR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.72-0.99) lower prevalence of poor self-reported oral health than those in the poorest quintile. The wealth index showed different effects on self-reported oral health among whites and non-whites. Socioeconomic status indicators may reflect racial inequalities due to the historical legacy of institutional discrimination. This study highlights the importance of developing policies to combat racial inequities and how these can contribute to better oral health conditions for the older Brazilian population.

Pathways that explain racial differences on edentulism among older adults: 2019 Brazil National Health Survey.

This study aimed to evaluate the pathways that explain the association between race/skin color and edentulism in elderly Brazilians. This was a cross-sectional study using data from participants aged 60 years or older from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey, a nationally representative population-based sample. Data were obtained by a structured interview and participants were classified as edentulous if they reported having lost all natural teeth. Information on race, socioeconomic level, behavioral aspects, psychosocial aspects, and access to dental care was collected by interviewers using a questionnaire. The pathways between race/skin color and edentulism were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The final sample of the study included 22,357 participants. Most participants were white (51.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 50.3-52.6), and 36.8% (95%CI: 35.7-37.9) were edentulous. Race/skin color was indirectly associated with edentulism via enabling factors. These findings suggest that socioeconomic inequalities are key in explaining racial inequalities in edentulism among Brazilian older adults.

Dental visits and depression mediating the association of socioeconomic status with oral health behaviors.

Determinants of oral diseases include behaviors, which in turn are influenced by a series of social determinants such as psychosocial aspects and dental care services. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether depressive symptoms and use of dental care services mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and oral health behaviors. This was a cross-sectional study that analyzed data from participants in the 2019 National Health Survey (PNS) (n = 88,531). The eligibility criteria were individuals who were 18 years and older and exclusion criterion was living in households located in special or sparsely populated census tracts. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test direct and indirect pathways from a latent variable for SES to oral health through depressive symptoms (assessed through the "Patient Health Questionnaire-9") and use of dental care services. The maximum likelihood estimator for complex samples with the robust standard error was used. The final model presented an adequate fit: RMESA of 0.008, CFI of 0.998, and SMRM of 0.005. The results showed that higher SES was directly associated with better oral health-related behaviors [standardized coefficient (SC): 0.428; p < 0.01] and indirectly through depressive symptoms [(SC): 0.002; p < 0.01] and dental care services [(SC): 0.089; p < 0.01]. The total effect of SES on oral health-related behaviors was equal to [(SC: 0.519 (p < 0.01)]. In conclusion, the findings suggest that high socioeconomic status, mediated by depressive symptoms and dental care services, has a positive effect on oral health.

Social capital and dental service use in older Brazilians.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of dental services use and its association with social capital among Brazilian older adults. BACKGROUND: Health inequities can be explained by the social determinants of health, which are the social, environmental, cultural and behavioural factors that directly or indirectly affect people's health. Among these determinants is social capital, that seem to affect health behaviours, such as use of dental services among older adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the Longitudinal Study of the Health of the Brazilian Elderly, nationally representative of people aged 50 years or older. The baseline survey was carried out between 2015 and 2016, using structured questionnaires. The dependent variable was use of dental services in the last year. The main exposure variable was social capital, assessed through two dimensions: structural and cognitive. The covariates used were sex, skin colour, age, education, wealth, need for dental treatment, self-perception of oral health, tooth loss, type of dental services used, reason for dental care, smoking and alcohol consumption. Descriptive analyses and Poisson regression modelling were used. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 9323 individuals. The prevalence of dental services use was 32.6% (95% CI: 30.7-34.5). No associations were found between social capital and the use of dental services. CONCLUSION: This study did not find an association between structural and cognitive social capital and dental services use in Brazilian older adults. Further researches using instruments with different assessments of social capital are needed.

The mediating role of social capital in socioeconomic inequalities of oral health behaviours among Brazilian older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Knowledge of the possible pathways linking socioeconomic status (SES) to oral health-related behaviours can improve the understanding of inequalities in oral health. Therefore, in this study, it was investigated whether social capital mediates the relationship between SES and oral health behaviours. METHODS: Through a cross-sectional study, data were analysed from participants aged ≥60 years from the Brazilian National Health Survey 2019 (n = 21 575). Structural equation modelling was used to test the direct and indirect pathways from a latent variable for SES to a latent variable for oral health behaviours: daily flossing, toothbrushing frequency and the use of dental care services. RESULTS: The maximum likelihood estimator was used for complex samples with robust standard errors, and the final model demonstrated an adequate fit. The findings demonstrated that a higher SES was directly associated with better oral health-related behaviours (standardized coefficient [SC]: 0.82; [90% CI: 0.78-0.85]) and indirectly via structural social capital (SC: 0.05; [90% CI: 0.02-0.07]). The total effect of SES on oral health-related behaviours was (SC: 0.87, [90% CI: 0.85-0.89]). CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that structural social capital in older Brazilian adults might partly mediate the pathways to socioeconomic inequalities in oral health behaviours. However, there is a direct effect on oral health behaviours, reinforcing the hypothesis that SES is associated with oral health, based on paths that link income inequality to oral health.

Pathways that explain racial differences on edentulism among older adults: 2019 Brazil National Health Survey

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the pathways that explain the association between race/skin color and edentulism in elderly Brazilians. This was a cross-sectional study using data from participants aged 60 years or older from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey, a nationally representative population-based sample. Data were obtained by a structured interview and participants were classified as edentulous if they reported having lost all natural teeth. Information on race, socioeconomic level, behavioral aspects, psychosocial aspects, and access to dental care was collected by interviewers using a questionnaire. The pathways between race/skin color and edentulism were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The final sample of the study included 22,357 participants. Most participants were white (51.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 50.3-52.6), and 36.8% (95%CI: 35.7-37.9) were edentulous. Race/skin color was indirectly associated with edentulism via enabling factors. These findings suggest that socioeconomic inequalities are key in explaining racial inequalities in edentulism among Brazilian older adults.

Wealth index association with self-reported oral health between white and non-white older Brazilians / Associação entre índice de riqueza e saúde bucal autorreferida entre idosos brasileiros brancos e não brancos / Asociación del índice de riqueza con la salud bucal autorreportada en adultos mayores brasileños blancos y no blancos

Abstract: This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the association between self-reported oral health status and a wealth index among white and non-white older adults in Brazil. Data from individual assessments of 9,365 Brazilians aged 50 years or older were analyzed. Poisson regression models were performed to estimate the prevalence ratio between wealth index and self-reported oral health among whites and non-whites adjusted for intermediate and proximal determinants. The total prevalence of poor self-reported oral health on white and non-white individuals was 41.6% (95%CI: 40.0-43.4) and 48% (95%CI: 47.1-49.8) respectively. The adjusted analysis showed that, for whites, the wealth index is associated with self-reported oral health since individuals in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th quintiles have 25% (PR = 0.75; 95%CI: 0.65-0.88), 20% (PR = 0.80; 95%CI: 0.67-0.95), and 39% (PR = 0.61; 95%CI: 0.50-0.75) lower prevalence of poor self-reported oral health than those in the poorest quintile. For non-white individuals, the wealth index is associated with self-reported oral health only for those in the 5th quintile, with 25% (PR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.72-0.99) lower prevalence of poor self-reported oral health than those in the poorest quintile. The wealth index showed different effects on self-reported oral health among whites and non-whites. Socioeconomic status indicators may reflect racial inequalities due to the historical legacy of institutional discrimination. This study highlights the importance of developing policies to combat racial inequities and how these can contribute to better oral health conditions for the older Brazilian population.

Resumo: Este estudo transversal teve como objetivo identificar a associação entre o estado de saúde bucal autorreferida e o índice de riqueza entre idosos brancos e não brancos no Brasil. Foram analisados dados de avaliações individuais de 9.365 brasileiros com 50 anos ou mais. Foram utilizados modelos de regressão de Poisson para estimar a razão de prevalência entre o índice de riqueza e a saúde bucal autorreferida entre brancos e não brancos, ajustada para determinantes intermediários e proximais. A prevalência total de autopercepção de saúde bucal ruim em indivíduos brancos e não brancos foi de 41,6% (IC95%: 40,0-43,4) e 48% (IC95%: 47,1-49,8), respectivamente. A análise ajustada mostrou que, para indivíduos brancos, o índice de riqueza está associado à saúde bucal autorreferida para indivíduos do 3º, 4º e 5º quintis com 25% (RP = 0,75; IC95%: 0,65-0,88), 20% (PR = 0,80; IC95%: 0,67-0,95) e 39% (PR = 0,61; IC95%: 0,50-0,75) menor prevalência de saúde bucal autorreferida ruim do que aqueles no quintil mais pobre. Para indivíduos não brancos, o índice de riqueza está associado à saúde bucal autorreferida apenas para aqueles no 5º quintil, com 25% (RP = 0,85; IC95%: 0,72-0,99) menor prevalência de saúde bucal autorreferida ruim do que aqueles no quintil mais pobre. O índice de riqueza mostrou diferentes efeitos sobre a saúde bucal autorreferida entre indivíduos brancos e não brancos. Os indicadores de status socioeconômico podem refletir desigualdades raciais devido ao legado histórico da discriminação institucional. Este estudo destaca a importância do desenvolvimento de políticas de combate às iniquidades raciais e como elas podem contribuir para melhores condições de saúde bucal na população brasileira idosa.

Resumen: Este estudio transversal tuvo como objetivo identificar la asociación entre el estado de salud bucal autorreportada y el índice de riqueza entre ancianos blancos y no blancos en Brasil. Se analizaron datos de evaluaciones individuales de 9.365 brasileños de 50 años o más. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión de Poisson para estimar la relación de prevalencia entre el índice de riqueza y la salud bucal autorreportada entre blancos y no blancos, ajustada para determinantes intermedios y proximales. La prevalencia total de autopercepción de mala salud bucal en individuos blancos y no blancos fue de 41,6% (IC95%: 40,0-43,4) y 48% (IC95%: 47,1-49,8), respectivamente. El análisis ajustado mostró que, para los individuos blancos, el índice de riqueza está asociado con salud bucal autorreportada para individuos en los quintiles 3, 4 y 5 con 25% (RP = 0,75; IC95%: 0,65-0,88), 20% (RP = 0,80; IC95%: 0,67-0,95) y 39% (RP = 0,61; IC95%: 0,50-0,75) menor prevalencia de salud bucal autorreportada mala que aquellos en el quintil más pobre. Para las personas que no son blancas, el índice de riqueza se asocia con salud bucal autorreportada solo para aquellos en el quintil 5, con un 25% (PR = 0,85; IC95%: 0,72-0,99) de menor prevalencia de salud bucal autorreportada mala que aquellos en el quintil más pobre. El índice de riqueza mostró diferentes efectos sobre la salud bucal autorreportada entre individuos blancos y no blancos. Los indicadores de estatus socioeconómico pueden reflejar desigualdades raciales debido al legado histórico de la discriminación institucional. Este estudio destaca la importancia del desarrollo de políticas de combate a las inequidades raciales y cómo ellas pueden contribuir para mejores condiciones de salud bucal en la población brasileña anciana.

Association between integrative and complementary health practices and use of dental services among older adults in Brazil: a cross-sectional study, 2019. / Associação entre práticas integrativas e complementares em saúde e uso de serviços odontológicos em idosos no Brasil: estudo transversal, 2019.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze association between participation in integrative practices and regular use of dental services in Brazilian older adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on secondary data from the 2019 National Health Survey. All older adults aged 60 years and over were included. The study outcome was regular dental service use. Poisson regression models were used to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and their respective at confidence intervals 95% (95%CI). RESULTS: A total of 22,728 older adults were analyzed. Most were female (55.5%), reported that they were White (51.3%), had incomplete primary education (47.0%); 7.0% (95%CI 6.8;7.5) had used some form of integrative practice and 34.3% (95%CI 33.2;35.4) had used their dental service regularly. Individuals who used integrative practices had higher prevalence of dental service use even after adjusting the model (PR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.07;1.23). CONCLUSION: Among Brazilian older adults use of integrative practices was associated with regular use of dental services.

Association between perceived discrimination in health services and oral health-related quality of life in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the association between perceived discrimination in health services and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in Brazilian older adults. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, it was analyzed the baseline data from the "Longitudinal Study of the Health of Elderly Brazilians" (ELSI-Brazil), which included a representative sample of individuals aged ≥ 60 years. The dependent variable was the impact on OHRQoL, assessed using the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) questionnaire. The association between perceived discrimination and OHRQoL was verified using Poisson regression models adjusted for socioeconomic and demographic factors. Owing to the complexity of the sample, the sample weight was considered in all analyses. RESULTS: Data from 5432 individuals were analyzed. In both the crude [rate ratio (RR): 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.70-2.16] and adjusted analyses (RR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.62-2.11), the mean impact on OHRQoL was higher in individuals who experienced discrimination in health services than in those who did not. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that perceived discrimination in health services has a negative impact on OHRQoL in older adults. To combat intrinsic social behaviors, such as discrimination, it is essential to eliminate health inequities and to promote social justice. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Participation in health-related behaviors is paramount for promoting health and preventing oral diseases. However, discrimination may erode an individual's protective resources and increase vulnerability to disease onset. Therefore, perceived discrimination may potentially decrease participation in healthy behaviors, leading to worse oral health outcomes.

Pathways of socioeconomic inequalities in self-perceived oral health.

Although there is a large body of evidence of the influence of social determinants on oral health, information on the mechanisms by which these determinants operate is poorly documented. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the pathways through which socioeconomic inequalities may influence self-perceived oral health (SPOH) in Brazilian adults. This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health Survey (NHS) of 2019, with a representative sample of adults aged 18 to 59 years (n = 65,803). The outcome was SPOH, assessed by a global self-item. Structural equation modeling was used to test direct and indirect pathways connecting a latent variable for socioeconomic position (SEP) to SPOH via psychosocial, behavioral, and biological factors. Higher SEP was directly associated with better SPOH [standardized coefficient (SC) = 0.069; p < 0.01)] fewer depressive symptoms (SC = -0.059; p < 0.01), fewer missing teeth (SC = 0.131; p < 0.01), and more healthy behaviors (SC = 0.643; p < 0.01). Fewer depressive symptoms (SC = -0.141; p < 0.01), more healthy behaviors (SC = 0.242; p < 0.01), and fewer missing teeth (SC = 0.058; p < 0.01) were directly associated with good SPOH. Among specific indirect effects of SEP on SPOH, the behavioral pathway was the one that best explained this association (SC = 0.155). Socioeconomic inequities in SPOH are mediate by psychosocial, behavioral, and biological factors. This has implications for positioning health strategies in the social context in which people live, to facilitate healthy choices and promote good oral health.

Measuring health inequalities: implications of choosing different socioeconomic indicators.

We aimed to verify the association between different socioeconomic indicators and self-rated health in a nationally representative sample of older adults. This cross-sectional study analyzed the baseline data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), a population-based cohort study of persons aged 50 years or older. Data was collected using a household and an individual questionnaire at participants' households. Self-rated health was assessed by a global self-rating item. Three socioeconomic indicators were assessed: individual income, per capita household income, and wealth index. Poisson regression models were performed to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of self-rated health and each socioeconomic indicator, adjusting for covariates. In total, 9,390 older adults answered the outcome question. Whilst for the individual income indicator only the richest quintile showed a statistically significant association with the outcome (PR: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.87; 0.93), for the per capita household income, the fourth (PR: 0.95; 95%CI: 0.91; 0.98) and the fifth quintiles (PR: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.86; 0.94) remained associated with the outcome. Regarding the wealth index, only the second quintile was not associated with the outcome, with lower prevalence of poor self-rated health as richer was the quintile, showing a social gradient. The wealth index seems to be a more adequate indicator, as it reflects resources accumulated over the life course.

Factors associated with self-perceived oral health in different age groups.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the factors associated with self-perceived oral health (SPOH) in different age groups. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used probabilistic samples of adolescents, adults and older adults from São Paulo State, Brazil. SPOH was assessed using a global self-rating item. Hierarchical Poisson regression models were used to determine the estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for poor SPOH and demographic and socio-economic variables, social capital, dental attendance and clinical measures. The analyses for each age group were performed separately. RESULTS: Data from 5314 adolescents, 5815 adults and 5556 older adults were analysed. Female adolescents and adults, non-White adults and older adults with a higher educational level had worse SPOH. Adolescents, adults and older adults with lower social capital showed higher rates of poor SPOH (PR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.27-1.97, PR = 1.20; 95% CI: 1.10-1.31 and PR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.06-1.49, respectively). Those whose reason for last dental attendance was treatment had worse SPOH, regardless of age group. Adolescents, adults and older adults with greater number of decayed teeth had worse SPOH (PR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.37-1.77, PR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.22-1.38, and PR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.17-1.42, respectively). Adolescents and adults with more missing teeth presented higher rates of poor SPOH (PR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.04-1.44 and PR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.02-1.16, respectively). Older adults needing a dental prosthesis had worse SPOH (PR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.88-2.41). CONCLUSION: There are differences in the factors associated with SPOH between age groups, and these differences reflect social inequalities in health.

Pathways Between Religiosity and Tooth Loss in Older Adults in Brazil.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the direct and indirect pathways between religiosity and tooth loss in older adults from Brazil. We analyzed the data of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging, a nationally representative study of individuals aged 50 years or older. The pathways were analyzed through structural equation modeling. A total of 9073 individuals were evaluated. It was observed that oral hygiene and smoking were mediators of the relationship between religiosity and tooth loss, through spirituality and social support, respectively. Spirituality also directly influenced the tooth loss.

Measuring health inequalities: implications of choosing different socioeconomic indicators / Aferição das desigualdades em saúde: as implicações da escolha entre diferentes indicadores socioeconômicos / Midiendo inequidades de salud: implicaciones de elegir diferentes indicadores socioeconómicos

Abstract: We aimed to verify the association between different socioeconomic indicators and self-rated health in a nationally representative sample of older adults. This cross-sectional study analyzed the baseline data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), a population-based cohort study of persons aged 50 years or older. Data was collected using a household and an individual questionnaire at participants' households. Self-rated health was assessed by a global self-rating item. Three socioeconomic indicators were assessed: individual income, per capita household income, and wealth index. Poisson regression models were performed to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of self-rated health and each socioeconomic indicator, adjusting for covariates. In total, 9,390 older adults answered the outcome question. Whilst for the individual income indicator only the richest quintile showed a statistically significant association with the outcome (PR: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.87; 0.93), for the per capita household income, the fourth (PR: 0.95; 95%CI: 0.91; 0.98) and the fifth quintiles (PR: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.86; 0.94) remained associated with the outcome. Regarding the wealth index, only the second quintile was not associated with the outcome, with lower prevalence of poor self-rated health as richer was the quintile, showing a social gradient. The wealth index seems to be a more adequate indicator, as it reflects resources accumulated over the life course.

Resumo: O estudo buscou verificar a associação entre diferentes indicadores socioeconômicos e autoavaliação da saúde em uma amostra nacionalmente representativa de adultos mais velhos. Este estudo transversal analisou os dados da linha de base do Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde dos Idosos Brasileiros (ELSI-Brasil), um estudo de coorte de base populacional em indivíduos com 50 anos ou mais. Os dados foram coletados através de um questionário domiciliar e individual no domicílio dos participantes. A autoavaliação da saúde foi avaliada com um item de autoavaliação global. Três indicadores socioeconômicos foram avaliados: renda individual, renda domiciliar per capita e índice de riqueza. Foram construídos modelos de regressão Poisson para estimar a razão de prevalência (RP) e os intervalos de 95% de confiança (IC95%) para autoavaliação da saúde e cada indicador socioeconômico, ajustando para variáveis de confusão. No total, 9.390 idosos responderam à pergunta referente a autoavaliação de saúde geral. Para o indicador de renda individual, apenas o quintil mais rico mostrou uma associação significativa com o desfecho (RP: 0,90; IC95%: 0,87; 0,93); enquanto isso, para a renda domiciliar per capita, o quarto (RP: 0,95; IC95%: 0,91; 0,98) e quinto quintis (RP: 0,90; IC95%: 0,86; 0,94) permaneceram associados com o desfecho. Com relação ao índice de riqueza, apenas o segundo quintil não esteve associado com o desfecho. As menores prevalências de autoavaliação ruim da saúde foram associadas aos quintis mais altos de riqueza, revelando um gradiente social. O índice de riqueza parece ser um indicador mais adequado para uso, na medida em que reflete os recursos acumulados ao longo da vida.

Resumen: Nuestro objetivo fue verificar la asociación entre diferentes indicadores socioeconómicos y de salud autoevaluada en una muestra representativa nacional de adultos mayores. Este estudio transversal analizó los datos de referencia del Estudio Longitudinal de Salud de los Ancianos (ELSI-Brasil), un estudio de cohorte basado en población con individuos de 50 años o más. Los datos fueron recogidos usando un cuestionario por domicilio e individual entre los hogares participantes. La salud autoevaluada se evaluó mediante un ítem de autoevaluación global. Se evaluaron tres indicadores socioeconómicos: ingresos individuales, ingresos per cápita por hogar e índice de riqueza. Se realizaron modelos de regresión de Poisson para estimar la ratio de prevalencia (RP) y los intervalos de 95% de confianza (IC95%) de salud autoevaluada y cada indicador socioeconómico, ajustándolos mediante variables de confusión. En total, 9.390 personas mayores respondieron la pregunta sobre la autoevaluación de la salud general. Mientras que para el indicador de ingresos individuales solamente el quintil más rico mostró una asociación estadísticamente significativa con el resultado (RP: 0.90; IC95%: 0.87; 0.93), en los ingresos per cápita por hogar, los quintiles cuarto (RP: 0.95; IC95%: 0.91; 0.98) y quinto (RP: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.86; 0.94) continuaron asociados con el resultado. Respecto al índice de riqueza, solo el segundo quintil no estuvo asociado con el resultado, con prevalencia más baja de salud autoevaluada peor percibida cuanto más rico era el quintil, mostrando un gradiente social. El índice de riqueza parece ser un indicador más adecuado respecto a su uso, puesto que refleja fuentes acumuladas a lo largo del curso de la vida.

Associação entre práticas integrativas e complementares em saúde e uso de serviços odontológicos em idosos no Brasil: estudo transversal, 2019 / Asociación entre prácticas integrativas y complementarias en salud y uso de servicios odontológicos en adultos mayores en Brasil: estudio transversal, 2019 / Association between integrative and complementary health practices and use of dental services among older adults in Brazil: a cross-sectional study, 2019

Objetivo: Analisar a associação entre participação em práticas integrativas e uso regular de serviços odontológicos em idosos brasileiros. Métodos: Estudo transversal, com dados secundários da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) de 2019. Foram incluídos todos os idosos com 60 anos ou mais. O desfecho foi o uso regular de serviços odontológicos. Modelos de regressão de Poisson foram utilizados para estimar as razões de prevalências (RPs) brutas e ajustadas, e seus respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC95%). Resultados: Foram analisados 22.728 idosos. A maioria era do sexo feminino (55,5%), autodeclarados brancos (51,3%), com ensino fundamental incompleto (47,0%); apenas 7,0% (IC95% 6,8;7,5) utilizaram alguma prática integrativa e 34,3% (IC95% 33,2;35,4) utilizaram o serviço odontológico de forma regular. Indivíduos que participaram de práticas integrativas apresentaram maior frequência de uso do serviço odontológico (RP = 1,15; IC95% 1,07;1,23). Conclusão: O uso de práticas integrativas foi associado ao uso regular de serviços odontológicos por idosos brasileiros.

Objetivo: Analizar la asociación entre la participación en prácticas integradoras y el uso regular de servicios odontológicos en adultos ancianos brasileños. Métodos: Estudio transversal con datos secundarios de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2019. Se incluyeron todos aquellos con 60 años o más. El resultado fue el uso regular de servicios odontológicos. Se utilizó la regresión de Poisson para estimar razones de prevalencia (RPs) crudas y ajustadas y sus respectivos intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC95%). Resultados: Se analizaron 22.728 ancianos. La mayoría era del sexo femenino (55,5%), blancas (51,3%), con primaria incompleta (47,0%); 7,0% (IC95% 6,8;7,5) utilizaban alguna práctica integradora y 34,3% (IC95% 33,2;35,4) usaban el servicio dental regularmente. Aquellos que utilizaron prácticas integradoras tuvieron una mayor prevalencia en el uso de servicios dentales incluso después de ajustar el modelo (RP = 1,15; IC95% 1,07;1,23). Conclusión: El uso de prácticas integradoras se asoció con el uso regular de servicios odontológicos en ancianos brasileños.

Objective: To analyze association between participation in integrative practices and regular use of dental services in Brazilian older adults. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on secondary data from the 2019 National Health Survey. All older adults aged 60 years and over were included. The study outcome was regular dental service use. Poisson regression models were used to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and their respective at confidence intervals 95% (95%CI). Results: A total of 22,728 older adults were analyzed. Most were female (55.5%), reported that they were White (51.3%), had incomplete primary education (47.0%); 7.0% (95%CI 6.8;7.5) had used some form of integrative practice and 34.3% (95%CI 33.2;35.4) had used their dental service regularly. Individuals who used integrative practices had higher prevalence of dental service use even after adjusting the model (PR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.07;1.23). Conclusion: Among Brazilian older adults use of integrative practices was associated with regular use of dental services.

Dental visits and depression mediating the association of socioeconomic status with oral health behaviors

Abstract Determinants of oral diseases include behaviors, which in turn are influenced by a series of social determinants such as psychosocial aspects and dental care services. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether depressive symptoms and use of dental care services mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and oral health behaviors. This was a cross-sectional study that analyzed data from participants in the 2019 National Health Survey (PNS) (n = 88,531). The eligibility criteria were individuals who were 18 years and older and exclusion criterion was living in households located in special or sparsely populated census tracts. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test direct and indirect pathways from a latent variable for SES to oral health through depressive symptoms (assessed through the "Patient Health Questionnaire-9") and use of dental care services. The maximum likelihood estimator for complex samples with the robust standard error was used. The final model presented an adequate fit: RMESA of 0.008, CFI of 0.998, and SMRM of 0.005. The results showed that higher SES was directly associated with better oral health-related behaviors [standardized coefficient (SC): 0.428; p < 0.01] and indirectly through depressive symptoms [(SC): 0.002; p < 0.01] and dental care services [(SC): 0.089; p < 0.01]. The total effect of SES on oral health-related behaviors was equal to [(SC: 0.519 (p < 0.01)]. In conclusion, the findings suggest that high socioeconomic status, mediated by depressive symptoms and dental care services, has a positive effect on oral health.