Does social support predict increased use of dental services in older men?

BACKGROUND: Past research on social support and dental visits in older people has been limited by cross-sectional design, limited social support dimensions and non-representative samples. METHODS: Data came from men with natural teeth completing Waves 3 and 4 of the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project in Sydney, Australia. The relationship between social support at Wave 3 (2011-2012) and at least one dental visit per year at Wave 4 (2014-2016) was examined by Poisson regression. Social support was measured by structural (marital status, living arrangements, family support and social interaction) and functional (social support satisfaction) domains. RESULTS: About 673 men were analysed. Structural and functional social support were not associated with the pattern of usual dental visits 5 years later in univariable or multivariable analyses. The only consistent significant factor was income source, with older men who had other sources of income more likely to regularly visit the dentist than older men solely reliant on the pension for income (prevalence ratio: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.13-1.52). CONCLUSIONS: We found no differences in the pattern of usual dental visits between older men with different levels and types of social support. For older Australian men, income source seems to be the most important determinant of regular dental visits. © 2022 Australian Dental Association.

High sugar-sweetened beverage intake frequency is associated with smoking, irregular meal intake and higher serum uric acid in Taiwanese adolescents.

Types of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) can differ greatly between countries, with greater consumption of sweetened tea in Asia. This study aimed to understand changes in SSB consumption by adolescents in Taiwan over 18 years and their association with demographic characteristics and clinical outcome. This study used survey data from the 1993-1996 and 2010-2011 Nutrition and Health Surveys in Taiwan. Participants were high school students aged 13 to 18 years. Data were weighted and analysed using SUDAAN 11.0 and SAS 9.4. Participants were asked about intake frequencies of SSB and were grouped into four different SSB intake groups based on the combination of high or low frequency (including moderate frequency) of intake of sweetened tea and soda/sports/energy drinks. Results indicated over 99 % of teens reported having at least one SSB in the past week. Smoking status was significantly associated with SSB intake types with high tea intake (high tea and low soda (HL) group, OR 7·56, P < 0·001; high tea and high soda (HH) group, OR 9·96, P < 0·001). After adjustment for potential confounders, adolescents in the low tea and high soda (LH) group (ß = 0·05, P = 0·034) had significantly higher mean serum uric acid values. In conclusion, sugary tea remains the SSB of choice for Taiwanese adolescents. Those with a frequent intake of soda/sports/energy drinks had a higher chance of being hyperuricaemic.