Socioeconomic status, food security, and chewing discomfort of Korean elders: results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and chewing discomfort and identify the role of food insecurity in the association's causal pathway in a representative sample of Korean elders. MATERIALS/METHODS: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2015) data for elders aged ≥ 65 years. Socioeconomic status indicators used included household income and education level. Chewing discomfort was assessed according to the self-reported presence of chewing problems. Food security was surveyed using a questionnaire based on the US Household Food Security Survey Module. RESULTS: The odds ratios of chewing discomfort in the 1st and 2nd income quartiles were 1.55 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-2.10) and 1.40 (95% CI, 1.03-1.90), respectively, compared to participants in the highest income quartile. Participants with the lowest education level were 1.89 (95% CI, 1.30-2.75) times more likely to have chewing discomfort than those without chewing discomfort. After including food security in the final model, the logistic coefficients were attenuated in the income and education quartiles. CONCLUSIONS: Low socioeconomic status was associated with chewing discomfort. In addition, the results confirm that food insecurity can mediate the association between socioeconomic inequalities and chewing discomfort among the elderly.

The association between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors in North Korean defectors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the association between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors among North Korean defectors. METHODS: This study involved the collection of self-reported questionnaires from 123 North Korean defectors visited a dental clinic that offered complimentary services, to receive dental treatment in a metropolitan area of South Korea from December 2017 to April 2018. Oral health literacy was measured with the Test of Korean Functional Health Literacy in Dentistry (TOKFHLiD), which consists of 30 items concerning verbal oral health literacy and 42 items concerning functional oral health literacy (28 items for reading comprehension and 14 items for numeracy). In addition, the questionnaire contains 15 and 14 items related to demographic characteristics and oral health behaviors (interest, lifestyle, diet, prevention), respectively, for a total of 101 items. RESULTS: The mean oral health literacy score was 44 (out of a maximum possible score of 72). Oral health literacy and oral health behaviors were positively correlated (r = 0.526, P < 0.001), and oral health literacy also had a significant effect on oral health behaviors (Beta = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.04-0.33). However, although functional oral health literacy had a significant effect on oral health behaviors (Beta = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.01-0.43), verbal oral health literacy did not (Beta = 0.13, 95% CI: - 0.06-037). CONCLUSIONS: Educational interventions are needed to improve oral health literacy, and thus oral health behaviors, as a part of the health promotion measures undertaken to facilitate the stable adjustment of North Korean defectors in South Korean society.

The association between Antonovsky's sense of coherence and job stress among dental hygienists in Korea.

OBJECTIVE: High stress levels experienced by medical professionals are a well-established phenomenon in current literature. However, there are few studies focusing on stress experienced in the field of oral health or on the sense of coherence (SOC) that helps to actively respond to job stress. The purpose of this study was to analyse if there is an association between SOC and job stress among dental hygienists in Korea. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 441 dental hygienists in the Seoul Gyeonggi province, Korea. The independent variable was SOC which had three dimensions: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. The dependent variable was job stress, which was evaluated using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale Short Form. Confounding factors were age, marital status, educational background, type of hospital, and work experience. The chi-square test and t test measures were used for bivariate analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to confirm the association between SOC and job stress. The collected data were statistically analysed using SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: The SOC score showed a significant difference in relation to the job stress score. The SOC score was high when the job stress was low (P < .001). Overall SOC scores showed an inverse correlation with job stress. CONCLUSION: This study reports that a higher SOC is associated with lower job stress in Korean dental hygienists. Since a higher SOC in dental hygienists indicated that they could cope with job stress more positively, it is important to increase their SOC.