The relationship among sense of coherence, socio-economic status, and oral health-related behaviours among Finnish dentate adults.

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the independent and interactive associations between sense of coherence (SOC) and socio-economic status (SES) with oral health-related behaviours. Data from 5,399 dentate adults regarding their demographic characteristics, years of education, SOC score, and oral health-related behaviours were analysed. Household income was obtained from tax authorities. Logistic regression was used to test the adjusted association of SOC with each behaviour and to test the statistical interaction between each SES indicator and the SOC score. Subjects were 1.20 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.11-1.28] and 1.22 (95% CI 1.12-1.32) times more likely to visit dentists regularly for check-ups and to brush their teeth twice daily or more often, respectively, and were 1.11 (95% CI 1.03-1.20) and 1.21 (95% CI 1.12-1.32) times less likely to be daily smokers and to consume sugar-added products on a daily basis, respectively, for every unit increase in SOC score. The findings provide strong support for an association between higher levels of SOC and more favourable oral health-related behaviours, independently of current SES and demographic characteristics of the participants and across the four behaviours assessed. By contrast, the findings give limited support for the moderating role of SOC on the relationship between SES and oral health-related behaviours.