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.

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.

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.

Individual social capital and dental pain in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between the structural and cognitive dimensions of social capital and dental pain in Brazilian adults aged 50 years and over. METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted individual assessments of 6154 Brazilians aged 50 years or older. Four individual variables based on structural and cognitive dimensions of social capital were assessed. We used hierarchical logistic regression models to estimate the odds ratio for dental pain with individual structural and cognitive social capital variables adjusted for associated factors. The model followed hypothetical pathways linking social capital to oral health. RESULTS: Cognitive social capital was associated with dental pain. Participants who did not trust their neighbourhood had a 28% greater chance (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.02-1.60) of dental pain than those who did. CONCLUSION: Elements of cognitive dimension of social capital, particularly trust, reciprocity and support, as part of a common risk factor approach, should be considered when planning oral health promotion and preventive activities for older people.

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.

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.

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.

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.